Revisiting the past
by Dr. Eminem
Summary: Jack faces an old enemy and a new one that happens to be an old friend.
1. Default Chapter

The nurse walked in to check on her patient. He had been beaten and shot in the abdomen she remembered how close they had come to loosing him while they were in surgery and she was told to keep a close eye on him. She walked into the room and gasped when she saw the bed was empty. She quickly looked in the bathroom knowing in her mind there was no way he could have walked there, he was too drugged up and trying to walk would have reopened the gun shot wound. She ran back out to the main desk and asked, "The patient in 309 was he taken somewhere else?"

The head nurse checked her records, "No."

"He's gone. Not in the room." The young nurse said worried she might loose her job over this.

"I'll call the doctors maybe they forgot to put it down." The head nurse got on the phone and the doctor had told her there was no way they took the patient he had just gotten out of surgery less than an hour ago.

After searching most of the hospital they finally called in the people who had been there earlier to see the man. They had said to call them as soon as he woke up.

"O'Brien." Someone answered on the other line.

The head nurse was quite nervous they had never lost a patient before especially not one that had the federal government looking after it. "I'm over at Methodist hospital. We had a patient here we were suppose to call when he woke up."

"Is he awake?" Chloe said thinking it was way to soon for him to be awake. The personal communication seminars she and most of CTU were being forced to attend were paying off.

"No. He is missing." The nurse said biting her lower lip.

"How?"

"We don't know. We've searched the entire hospital and he's not here."

"We'll send people over." Chloe said hanging the phone up. She called Brad Hammond who had been working at CTU ever since Michelle had left because of Tony's conviction. As soon as he answered the phone Chloe said, "Sir he's been taken from the hospital."

"Are you sure?"

"There was no way he could have walked out of there."

"DAMNIT!" Hammond said angrily. They still didn't know who had shot him. He was on his way to work talking to Hammond about an open case when Hammond heard the gun shots. He called the police on the other line and all he heard on the other end was the man's breathing and a groan in pain. Nothing else, the phone when dead shortly there after, and was not found near where they found him bleeding to death. "Get them to lock the hospital down no one goes out and only patients come in. Get all the security footage and look through it. Find him damn it."

"Yes sir." Chloe said hanging the phone up. She was working on the computer downloading the footage when the bulletin came across:

ATTENTION: Tony Almeida escaped from prison a few hours ago. Be on the look out for Almeida.

Brad came down and asked, "How is the footage coming?"

"I got it downloaded and was just going to look through it. Why are we getting a bulletin that Tony broke out of prison?"

Brad didn't want to share more information than was necessary, "I'm not sure. Let's check the footage out."

They both watched the bad film as it played through. Hammond had her pause when a man came into view moving someone who resembled Jack, but it was hard to tell from the video for sure, in a wheelchair. Who ever was in the wheel chair was clearly unconscious. "I think that's them. Try and see if the face every comes into focus if not blow them up anwyas and pass them around the hospital to see if they can get any information on him. Go to the parking lot camera's. Maybe we can catch the car leaving. They watched the parking garage level by level for twenty minutes after the man appeared to be wheeling out the man that looked like Jack. "There!" Brad said pointing at the screen it had been about nineteen minutes in the second level of the parking garage.

The man wheeled the unconscious man to a car. The picture was not in color and it was hard to tell what color the car was. They both watched helplessly as the man moved the unconscious man out of the chair into the back seat. There was clearly someone in the passenger side of the car but they were out of focus. The wheelchair was loaded into the back of the car and they watched his drive away.

"DAMN IT" Chloe said looking at the back and than the front of the car there weren't any licenses plates on it. Meaning no way to trace back to where it came from. "I'll run the make and model and cross check it with anyone that would have reason to shoot Jack or kidnap him."

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The driver looked back into the back seat as he drove checking on the man he had just grabbed from the hospital. He had only shot him hours ago, and after he reported back of what he had done he had been told the man did not die and was to be brought to the base camp, alive. The driver had thought it was stupid to shot the man than kidnap him, why not kill him in the hospital it would have been so easy to do. But he wasn't the leader and nor would he even attempt to question his boss's ordered he'd only end up worse than the poor ba$tard in the back seat.

Halfway to the building they were using as a base camp he heard a pained cry from the man in back. He looked back to find the man passed out still. He was surprised he was even alive. He had shot the man and than proceeded to beat him till he heard the sirens of the police coming. He had beat the man with a tire iron, sure he had broken a few ribs and he knew he broke the man's arm because it was in a cast. But the man still lived, he hoped he wouldn't get in trouble for the man living he had done as he was told.

The driver pulled up behind the building and called his boss, "We are here."

"I'll send some men down to get him." The man said flatly.

The woman passenger looked at him she was angry with him, he had picked her up before he went and shot the man he didn't know in the back seat. She had not fought him when he appeared at her door, but she didn't take kindly to him. She seemed to care some for the man in the back seat because she screamed at him after he shot the man and than proceeded to beat him. She screamed even worse when he smashed the tire iron into the man's head busting it open. He looked back again and saw gauze over where he had hit the man. He had the mans chart in hand also, he was told to make sure he got that.

Three men appeared from inside of the building. One opened the door for the lady passenger and the other two got the man out of the back seat and carried him inside. The man groaned as they moved him. The driver felt a sudden rush of fear as the man he knew as the boss walked outside. He quickly got out of the car and avoided eye contact with the man it usually had set him off.

"Go ditch the car. Than come back here. Make sure you are not followed."

"Yes sir."

The boss walked back into the building and watched as his men settled Jack on a thin mattress in a room. The woman had in fact been Michelle, and she gave him a dirty look, "He wasn't suppose to get seriously hurt." She said angrily looking at Jack who had clearly been in pain.

"He's alive that's a pleasant surprise, but I'll let him live for now. Excuse me I have work to deal with." The man left her in the room with Jack. She walked over and sat against the wall next to the mattress she looked at Jack and saw him shaking slightly. The room had been cold and Jack barely had anything on. She was thankful the man who had kidnapped him at least put pants on him. She got up and knocked on the locked door.

The guard opened it he was told to take care of them because they were important people, "What?"

"Can I get a blanket for him. He is freezing cold."

"I'll ask."

"Is there anything you can give him for the pain?"

"I'll ask."

"Do you know how to say anything other than I'll ask or what?"

The man gave her a dirty look and closed the door in her face. She walked back over to Jack and took note of all the injuries. She had watched helplessly as the man walked up behind Jack and shot him than proceeded to beat him with the tire iron, she was sure he had to be dead, but Jack always surprised them by his multiple lives. She touched his face where a bruise had formed and felt bad, why had she ever made the deal. Than she began to feel bitter again, she made the deal because they had left her no choice. They took the one thing she cared for away from her and locked him up because he had tried to save her, and Jack did nothing the entire time to help him. She felt angry suddenly at Jack and she felt the urge to hurt him the way she had hurt when she looked down at him she felt like maybe that had not been enough pain inflected on him. He deserved so much more he always got away with stuff. He got away with killing Chappelle. Tony took a witness out of CTU, and than used her to save Michelle and bring Saunders in and he went to prison for it.

The door opened and she moved against the wall as she watched the man throw a blanket on the bed next to Jack, "There. He'll look into getting something for the pain once he gets a chance to talk to him." The man left them again and Michelle looked over at Jack who was paler than usual and she began to worry about him again, it wasn't his fault, he still should have tried to help Tony, but it wasn't his fault in the end. She grabbed the blanket and covered him with it. She continued to watch him making sure he was breathing. She watched him until she saw him coming around, she watched as he opened his eyes, which were full of pain. He tried to focus the drugs where wearing off and the pain was becoming unbearable again as he tried to take shallow breaths as to not cause the maximum amount of pain from his broken ribs. He looked around the room and knew he wasn't in the hospital he wasn't sure where he was, and Michelle watched the confused look register.

She walked over to him and called his name to get his attention. He looked at her his head pounding. "Where are we?" He croaked in a weak voice.

"Some building I'm not sure." She answered him kneeling next to him smiling trying to show how strong she was.

"What's going on?" An even weaker voice.

"I'm not sure." She lied tell him now, I made a deal to get Tony out of prison with someone who dislikes you, and you were in the deal, but you weren't suppose to get hurt just detained for the day, but in reality I knew they would probably kill you. She thought yeah that would go over real well.

Jack closed his eyes again as a wave of pain came over him. She sensed his body tensing and she tried to help, but she didn't know how to. She knocked on the door if they got what they wanted from him maybe they would give him something to take the pain away, but she was sure it would be a bullet to the head. "He's awake."

The man who opened the door smiled closed it again. He went and got his boss who walked down to the room. The door was opened for him and he walked in. In his thick British accent he said, "Jack nice to see you again."

Jack opened his eyes and looked at the man, confusion instantly came over his face he was to tired and in to much pain to hide his feelings.

"Thought I was dead. Nope you know the bad guy never really dies." Saunders said smiling at the weak man that lay before him, he knew he could easily take his life and Jack could do nothing to stop him.

"How?"

"Medical technology today I tell you." Saunders smiled he was in control once again.

"Where is Tony?" Michelle interrupted she was suppose to see Tony sometime soon.

"He's on his way." Saunders turned his attention to her, "So does he know what's happening Michelle? Did you tell good ol Jack her what you two choose to do? No I'd say. I knew when I grabbed you that day you would make things interesting you had a fire about you. Doesn't she Jack?"

Jack closed his eyes he didn't want to let Saudners see him in pain, and he clearly was in pain. Saunders walked over and kneeled next to Jack grabbing the man's throat.

Jack opened his eyes and used his unbroken arm to grab at Saunders arm trying to pull it away from his throat. Saunders squeezed gently at first, but once he felt Jack's hand on his arm trying to pull his hand away he squeezed harder, "Where is Jane?"

Jack's face was red and he was trying to pull Saunders arm away frantically moving and causing himself more pain. He used his arm in the cast and brought it up hard against Saunders head. Jack cried out in pain from what the hit to his arm had done, and Saunders stumbled back stunned. When he came back at Jack he put his foot on the gunshot wound and pressed down gently.

Jack's eyes bulged and he screamed in pain. Michelle went at Saunders but he pulled his gun and aimed it at her. She sat back down and watched as Saunders applied more pressure to the wound. Jack's cry of pain almost shattering Michelle's ear drums.

Saunders pulled his foot off and knelt down again. Jack's eyes were closed and Saunders saw a few tears escape them he smiled as he saw the amount of pain he had inflicted, "Where is Jane Jack?"

Jack croaked barely audible, "I don't know."

"I think you do Jack. Where is she? Or do I have to get your daughter to join us. We both know how easy it is to crack a man when his daughter is at stake."

"I don't know where she is." Jack said in a weak voice full of pain.

Saunders stood up and stared at him, he saw the blood coming through the bandage and smiled, "Fine Jack. We can leave it at that for now." Saunders looked at Jack one more time before he left the room.

Jack waited for the door to close before he asked, "What going on Michelle and don't lie to me?" Jack pushed himself up through the pain, he could feel the wound bleeding, but he wasn't going to lie around and wait for Saunders to come back.

"What are you doing?" Michelle said watching Jack sit up through the pain and than try push himself to a standing position.

He was on his feet for a minute before he fell back down with a growl of pain. He was sweating now even though he still felt cold, it was from the pain. He put his hand over the wound and felt the blood run through his fingers. He felt the wave of exhaustion come over him again, and he closed his eyes unable to keep himself from drifting off again.

Michelle watched this and was worried that maybe he was hurt worse then she had assumed. She watched him sleep until the door opened again and Saunders walked in again this time with Tony behind him.

Tony smiled at Michelle she had explained to him what they would do for Saunders and Saunders would help get Tony out and than help them escape. Tony's smile faded when he saw Jack asleep on the mattress. "What's he doing here?" Tony said somewhat bitter because Jack had gotten away with so much, and he got sent to prison for one little infraction, while Jack got to go to rehab.

"He should know where Jane is." Saunders said looking at him asleep thinking about how to better question him while he waited for someone to grab Kim.

"And he won't tell you?" Tony said noticing the blood coming out of the bandage on his lower torso.

"Stubborn ba$stared." Saunders said remembering just how stubborn Jack could be when he needed to be. "So I want you to get the information from him or fine Jane. If not the deal is off and they both die." Saunders said looking at Tony.

Tony looked at him and said, "I'll get the information from him. Can I let him rest some before I start?"

"You got 24 hours." Saunders said leaving him standing in the door way.

Tony walked back into the room and hugged Michelle. He wasn't sure what he was going to do just yet. "I missed you so much baby." He said kissing her.

"I missed you too." She said enjoying his touch again. Taking a deep breath she smelled his familiar smell she missed so much while he was gone.

Tony got enough anger just by hugging Michelle to do what he had to do. Saunders made it clear it was either Jack gives them the information or Michelle dies with Jack, and Tony could not stand the thought of losing her. He walked over to where Jack was sleeping. He bent down and checked out the different wounds taking note of the ones that would be the most painful. He walked back to the door and opened it. He found Saunders talking on his cell phone.

Saunders smiled when he saw Tony's face, he knew Tony was going to help him. Anger was a great thing to play with in someone else, you could almost always mold their anger to work in your favor. "What can I get you Tony?"

Tony hated how the man smiled at him and now had the control. "I need a different room for Michelle or him. I can't do it with her in there." Tony said knowing even if Michelle had disliked Jack she wouldn't let anyone hurt him in this shape.

"Done." Saunders said rubbing his hands together getting ready for a good show. "Let's move him. I got a better room for this type of stuff."

Michelle was next to Jack again when the door opened. She saw Tony and Saunders walk in. Both men grabbed an arm and pulled Jack off the bed. Michelle watched as they dragged Jack out bewilder by Tony's willingness to help.

The door closed and locked behind them. Michelle sat down and she heard Jack's cry of pain a few minutes later and she sat there regretting what she had done. They were only suppose to hurt Jack get him out of the way, possibly just kill him, not torture him. She just wanted Tony back, she didn't think about what might happen to anyone else.

She sat there rocking back in forth ever so often hearing a pain scream from down the hall, that was defiantly Jack. It stopped as quick as it started and the door opened. Tony stood in the door way blood on his white shirt. Michelle looked and saw his knuckles were bruised. He looked at her his eyes full of anger, she knew it wasn't at her. She looked away from him not able to look at the man that was her husband, she could only guess what he had done.

Tony noticed her face change when he walked in the room and than her turning from him. He walked out of the room slamming the door returning to the room where Jack sat in a chair unconscious. He glared at the man, he was the reason Michelle was acting like she was. He was the reason Tony went to prison. He was the reason why Tony had almost lost Michelle. He was the reason they all were here today. His anger building again he ordered one of the men, "Wake him up."

Saunders looked at Tony satisfied with his work so far but he interrupted the order, "We don't want him dead yet. Let him rest." Saunders said looking at Jack who's face was almost covered in blood and bruised clearly from where Tony had pounded on it.

"If you want the information let me do my job." Tony snapped.

"I don't want him dead." Saunders said keeping his voice level, never fight anger with anger it only got both parties angrier.

After ten minutes finally Saunders walked over and pushed on Jack's gun shot wound. Jack jolted awake groaning in pain. He body aching everywhere, "Hey Jack." Saunders said with a smile.

Jack closed his eyes again he wasn't asleep, but he didn't want to see Saunders gloating.

Tony walked in front of him and grabbed a fist full of hair almost pulling Jack off the chair. Just than Tony noticed how small Jack looked compared to everyone else I the room. Jacks eyes opened as he felt his hair being ripped out. Tony smiled at him and said, "jack where is Jane?"

"I told you already." Jack groaned. At this point in time he wished he knew where Jane Saunders was because he didn't want to live this anymore. He had Tony after him and that hurt worse then the hits he took. He had tried to get Tony free. He called Palmer and Palmer squashed it with a simple no and refused to take anymore of Jack's call after that.

"I don't believe you Jack." Tony said pushing his head back violently letting go of his hair.

Jack had blood dripping out of his mouth he was unable to control it as it was flowing freely from his mouth. He swallowed some and almost gagged at the rustic taste he had never gotten use to. He didn't know what he could do to make Tony believe. He finally spoke before Tony hit him again, "Ask Michelle she'll know. I don't know." Jack said trying to show he wasn't lying.

Tony hit him in the stomach where he had been shot. Jack cried out in pain loudly gasping for breath trying to control himself, but he was starting to panic. Tony didn't care about the information he wanted Jack to suffer, to die. Jack was defenseless to the blows that came his way. Tony continued hitting him in the face, chest, stomach, anywhere he could hit till he was out of breath. Jack sat crumbled in the chair unconscious again. Tony looked at Saunders and said, "I don't think he knows where she is." Tony's hands ached from the beating they were giving. He looked at Jack and just saw a crumbled bloody mess no man there anymore, just a punching bag in the flesh.

"Fine. Take him back to the room. See if Michelle knows. I want my daughter." Saunders screamed walking out of the room. He wasn't going to kill Jack yet, he still might be useful.

The men grabbed Jack's crumble body out of the chair and moved him back to the locked room where Michelle sat. The laid him on the floor, blood seeping out of various wounds. Michelle didn't think he could get beaten worse, but he clearly had. She gasped when they brought him in, and almost started to cry when she saw all the blood on Tony and his hands which had blood on them, not his own but Jacks. Tony looked down at Jack hatred still in his eyes, but also a sorrows. "Michelle do you know where Jane is?"

"No." She said not knowing.

"Does he know?" Tony said kicking Jack onto his back.

"No they didn't want to tell him. He tried to find out, so he could apologize to her, but no one would tell him." She said looking at Jack tears in her eyes she had caused all of this.

"SHIT" Tony said aloud he had to find Jane Saunders. "Do you or he have any leads at to where she was?"

"Not that I know." Michelle said moving over to Jack.

"Don't touch him." Tony said his anger clear he was pissed at Jack he had not known about Jack's attempts to get him free, and he blamed Jack for why he went to prison.

"Tony he needs help. Look at him. He's going to bleed to death if he doesn't die of something else first." Michelle said trying to get Tony to look at Jack.

"He deserves it." Tony said looking over at Jack who was unconscious and bleeding still.

"Tony it wasn't his fault they decided to make an example out of you." Michelle tried.

"he could have helped me. He didn't even speak at my trial Michelle." Tony said his anger rising in him again.

Saunders walked into the room and asked Tony, "Does she know where Jane is?"

"No. Neither does he." Tony said.

"Fine. Michelle get up." Saunders said he had just formed another plan.

"What do you want with her?" Tony said worried that Saunders was going to hurt her.

"She's going to help me get someone who can find out where my daughter is." Saunders answered looking Tony in the eyes challenging him to say anything different.

"How?" Tony said confused.

"She's going to go to CTU. Someone will know there. And she's going to do it because she doesn't want you or Jack to get hurt worse. She'll be kind enough to grab Kim Bauer and bring her back for me won't you Michelle?" Saunders said in a threatening voice.

"Why do you want Kim?" Michelle asked.

"Because if I can't find my daughter than he doesn't need his." Saunders said looking at Jack.

"Leave her out of it. I'll find your daughter for you." Michelle said knowing that Jack wouldn't live, if he survived this without Kim.

"You have two hours to find her than you either get Kim here or Tony dies." Saunders stated.

"Fine." Michelle said walking out of the room.

Saunders closed the door locking Tony in the room with Jack, he thought about it for a minute and decided Tony would probably do his job for him, and from the looks of it Jack wouldn't be much help when he woke up so it didn't matter what happened to him.

Tony looked over at Jack still angry at him, but not willing to push Jack any further he didn't want to kill him, not yet. If something happened to Michelle than Jack would die the most painful death Tony could give him.

Jack groaned aloud while still out he was slowly coming back to consciousness.

Tony heard him groaned and walked over standing over him until he saw Jack open his eyes and blink his face clearly showing the pain he was in. Tony bent down and was going to move Jack when Jack flinched out of the way. Tony couldn't believe he had just seen Jack flinch he had always thought of Jack as this super tough guy you couldn't break, but he had clearly seen Jack flinch away from him in fear of him hitting him. Tony smiled and grabbed Jack off the floor.

Jack groaned loudly in pain and said, "I don't know where she is." Blood coming out of Jack's mouth as he tried to speak, but most of his words unintelligible.

"I know." Tony said laying Jack on the mattress. He looked over the man and saw all the damaged he had done to him. He moved to the other side of the room while Jack lay on the mattress closing his eyes to block the wave of pain out. Everything ached on his body and he wasn't sure if he could take any more of a beating which he was sure Tony was ready to administer. Jack thought about telling him about all he had try to do for him, but he didn't know Tony's reaction.

Tony finally faced Jack and looked at him asking, "Why didn't you try to help me?"

Jack looked at him and saw the pain and anger in his eyes. Jack tried to sit up, but dizziness and pain took over and he ended up slumping back down.

Tony walked over and grabbed a fist full of his hair, "Tell me you son of a bitch."

Jack winced in pain and Tony noticed him stiffen up as if Tony were going to hit him again. Jack spoke still barely understandable, "I tried." Jack swallowed hard a mouth full of blood. "Palmer wouldn't. I called him begged him practically. He stopped taking my calls after awhile. I tried."

"You are lying." Tony said pushing Jack's head back down. Jack's head bouncing off the wall on it's way down.

"I did." Jack said looking Tony directly in the eye never blinking.

"Why didn't you testify as a character witness at my trial?" Tony said not giving in.

"Did you really want a junkie as a character witness?" Jack asked spitting blood out this time onto the floor.

Tony looked at him, "Did you get off the stuff?"

"Yeah. I just got out of rehab a few weeks ago." Jack said not knowing why he was answering.

"What happened to you for killing Nina?"

Jack didn't want to answer he knew it would only anger Tony. "They aren't pressing charges." Jack finally said looking away knowing Tony would be pissed.

"I see you just called in a favor for yourself and forgot to ask about me." Tony said looking at Jack. He knew Jack was a good liar and he was sure Jack was lying why would Palmer deny his pardon, and than help Jack out. Tony's anger over took him again and he walked over to Jack grabbing a fist full of his hair and his neck pulling him off the mattress up to his feet. He was surprised by how light Jack was, and how weak the man was. He glared into Jack's eyes as he squeezed the life out of him. He watched as Jack's eyes glassed over with tears as his life was being taken out of him. He watched as Jack's eyes filled with fear and he tried to fight him off, he smiled a second before Jack passed out. He let Jack go the minute he passed out he wasn't going to kill him, not until Michelle was back safe with him.

Tony sat in the corner of the room watching Jack sleep. He watched as Jack opened his eyes full of pain and looked around the room dazed and confused. When Jack saw Tony he almost groaned. Tony walked over to Jack who crunched up in fear of getting hurt again. Tony enjoyed seeing him move like that.

"Let me look at you." Tony said touching Jack's arm noticing the flinch. He couldn't help but smile to see Jack in such a weak scared state. Jack refused to uncurl sure that Tony would only beat him more, and he couldn't stop him, and Tony knew it. "Jack either turn over or I'll force you too and it won't feel too good to you." Tony said getting angry.

When Jack still refused to move Tony kicked him in the back getting a cry of pain out of Jack, and than grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him onto his back. Jack's abdomen was covered in blood as was his face. Tony had seen the extent of the damage he had done to Jack and wondered how he was still moving. He let go of Jack and walked over to the door knocking on it hoping Saunders was smart enough to post someone outside.

The guard opened the door and said, "What do you want?"

"Can I speak to Saunders."

"Hold on." The guard said closing and locking the door again. A few minutes later Saunders walked into the room smiling.

"Good news Michelle's on her way back with someone and with a possible location on Jane." Saunders smiled at Tony than looked down at Jack who was lying on his back looking at the ceiling the pain evident in his eyes. Saunders walked over to him and bent down gloating over him, "Guess who Michelle has?"

Jack looked at him, his eyes showing how tired he was, "Who?" Jack said not knowing.

"Kimberly." Saunders smiled as he saw the fear cross Jack's eyes. "Don't worry I'm not going to hurt your daughter Jack." Saunders said looking Jack over, "You look pretty bad there. Tony did a good job." Saunders said noticing the new marks on Jack's neck.

"Speaking of that." Tony interrupted. "Is there anyway someone can fix him up some so he doesn't bleed to death in the mean time."

"Oh I'm not sure that matters to much." Saunders said standing.

"What do you want Kim for?" Jack said a new strength in his voice as he tried to push himself to a sitting position, but ended up lying back down with a cry of pain.

"Well I have to get out of the country somehow. So does Tony and Michelle and we need some leverage." Saunders said smiling at Jack. He would kill Kim once they were outside the U.S. he couldn't' let her go free and let everyone know he was still alive, he might even kill Tony and Michelle.

"leave her. I'll go with you." Jack said in a pained voice.

"Jack you can barely move and you'll slow us down." Saunders said looking down at Jack.

Jack moved through all the pain and pushed himself up to a sitting position almost passing out from the pain in the process, "I'll make it. Just leave her alone please." Jack begged getting ready to stand up when Saunders kicked him in the chest sending Jack back down to the ground with a scream of pain.

"NO thanks Jack." Saunders said wiping the blood off his shoe onto Jack's already bloody shirt. "Maybe we won't need her." Saunders said walking out of the room.

Jack spoke the pain evident on his voice, "Tony please don't let him take her. I tried hard to get you off Tony. I know you don't believe me, but I tried to call Palmer multiple times. He did stop taking my calls after awhile. I don't know why he didn't pardon you, and I'm sorry. I tried, maybe I didn't try hard enough, but please don't let Kim suffer because of this. I'll do whatever you want please just don't let him take her." Jack begged now his voice cracking as he spoke.

Tony looked at him on the floor and suddenly felt bad as he believed Jack finally had tried to help him. "I'll do what I can Jack. But we got to sort you out first before you bleed to death." Tony said walking over and moving Jack to the mattress. He took off his shirt and used it to apply pressure to the bullet hole that had been ripped open again. Jack squirmed under the pressure, causing pain. Tony tried to wipe most of the blood off Jack's face, but it didn't really help that more blood was replacing the old blood.

Tony was ready to give up when Michelle and Kim where pushed into the room. Kim ran over to her father who lie on the mattress mangled. She almost gasped when she saw Tony over him with all the blood on him. Michelle looked at Tony and smiled as she saw him trying to help Jack.

Michelle grabbed the blanket from earlier and walked over. She laid it over Jack, there wasn't much they could do for him, but keep him comfortable at the moment, and everyone knew it.

Michelle pulled Tony to the corner and said, "I'm sorry I got us into this. But I found a way to get us all out." She kissed him and frowned. She knew trouble would come there way soon.

Kim sat over Jack trying not to cry she looked at him and he was a mess, and she could only guess who had done it. She glared at Tony noticing all the blood on him, and his bruised knuckles. Tony noticed her glare and did nothing about it.

Saunders walked into the room angry. "How do they know where we are?" He said looking at Michelle who was standing over in the corner.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Michelle said in a calm voice.

Saunders glared at her and went towards her, but Tony stood in the way, and Saunders needed Tony he would be a good weapon. He couldn't hurt Michelle fine. He walked over and push Kim away from Jack. Kim tried to fight to get back to her father, but was only punched hard in the face by Saunders sending her to the ground with a cry.

Jack tried to sit up and go at Saunders but Saunders pushed Jack back down with one hand, and Jack felt pain erupt in his chest. Saunders smiled down as he saw the pain he had caused Jack, just by merely pushing on his chest.

He grabbed Jack by the arm and yanked him off the mattess. Jack barely stood on his own two feet, Saunders supported most of his weight. He pulled out a gun and had it next to Jack's head. "So Michelle how do they know where we are?"

"I haven't a clue what you are talking about." Michelle said hoping she was calling Saunders bluff. Saunders lowered the gun and Jack felt it press against his leg.

Jack's eyes bulged the minute the bullet tore through his leg sending him to the ground crying out in pain. Saunders smiled at Michelle, "Shall we try this again. I figure Jack can go till I get to his hands."

"I haven't a clue." Michelle maintained looking at Jack who lay on the ground breathing heavily through his mouth blood pooling around him.

"Sir we got to go." A man called from the door. "They are almost here."

Saunders frowned he was just starting to have fun. "Let's go." He said grabbing Kim off the floor and motioning for Tony and Michelle to go.

Tony looked at Jack on the floor and said, "What about him?"

Saunders turned around and looked at Jack and smiled. Before anyone could do anything he turned and fired two more shoots into Jack's chest. Kim screamed out and tried to break free to get to her father, but Saunders held her arm tightly and pulled her out of the room.

Michelle looked back sure that Jack was dead, she didn't see him breathing. She was dragged out of the room by some man and Tony followed behind with his head hung. They all got into a black van and drove away from the place. Kim sobbed loudly as they drove away calling for her father. It broke Michelle's heart to hear her, but there was nothing they could do.

The van stopped outside the small airport and Saunders smiled as he saw another car there waiting for them. Jane sat in the passenger seat crying scared of her father. Saunders got out of the van pulling Kim with him. He let her go and one of the other men grabbed her, Kim was sobbing uncontrollably now. Jane noticed this and became more scared of her father.

Saunders opened the car door and waited for his daughter to get out. He was hurt when she didn't get out and he said, "Please get out of the car. We have a plane to catch."

Jane didn't want to get out, but she didn't want to make him mad either. She got out of the car and looked at Kim who was being held up by one of the men. She remembered how nice the girl had to been to her when her father was killed.

"Jane please get on the plane you don't need to see this." Saunders said looking at her his eyes full of an unknown rage.

"Please don't hurt them dad." Jane said looking at him her eyes pleading.

"I'm not now please get on the plane." Saunders said looking at the plane that waited for them to board. Jane walked over to the plane believing her father, he had been so kind at one time. When she was on the plane she heard thee gun shots in a row. She looked outside the plane to see the dead bodies lying on the ground. Her father wiped the blood off his face and boarded the plane. She glared at him angry, yet scared to say anything. She refused to look him in the eye after that.

The swat team walked into the abandoned building that was clearly empty. The continued to search the floors and Chase stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Jack lying on the ground blood all around him. He looked down and saw how pale Jack was. Chase walked over to him and checked for a pulse.

There was a faint pulse, but it was barely noticeable. "Get a medic he's still alive." Chase screamed at the men. He knelt down taking whatever clothing his coat off and using it to apply pressure to the holes in Jack's chest. Jack was so pale that Chase wasn't sure if he could make it this time. Chase continued to apply pressure even as the blood seeped through his black coat onto his hands.

The medics rushed into the room and quickly loaded Jack onto the gurney. The hooked up the machines they needed as they moved him out. Chase watched helplessly as he heard the sound of Jack's heart stopping on the machine. He sat there staring up at them as they tried to revive him. Chase couldn't believe it. He saw them give him CPR than try to shock him back, but Jack refused to come back this time. He refused to cooperate. Chase felt the lump in his throat grow as time passed and finally they called it, "The EMT looked at his watch it's 3:00 on October 2."

"NO!" Chase screamed running over to the gurney pounding on Jack's chest trying to get him to come back, but nothing happened. One of the medics pulled Chase away from the body and held him back. Someone came up with the body bag. Chase collapsed to the ground as he watched his mentor, a man he respected so much moved into the bag and than watched it zip up. They placed the body back on the gurney and moved it outside. The spectators that collected gawking. Reports screaming out questions.

Chase sat on the ground crying to himself. He wiped the tears away he had to find Kim now. He couldn't let Jack down in now. He got up and was walking out of the building collecting himself when his cell phone rang.

"Uhm Chase." Chloe's voice came over.

"What?" Chase said clearly agitated.

"WE found Michelle, Tony, and Kim."

"Where are they?" Chase said.

"They're dead." Chloe said. "Saunders must have killed them before he fled the country."

Chase dropped the phone as his feet gave out from under him he collapsed to the ground. Everyone was gone dead, but him. He had let them all down. Jack, Kim, Michelle, and even Tony all of them were dead. He cried loudly getting the attention of the reporters just outside the place.

Finally after what seemed like only a short time but in fact had been a long time Chase composed himself and walked outside being almost mobbed by the reporters he pushed his way through holding his ever increasing anger back. He drove away quickly to the other scene where he saw Tony, Michelle, and Kim all laid out. All of them with one bullet to the back of their head. Chase kneeled next to Kim and wept again hodling her apologizing to her. Finally he felt a hand on his shoulder it was Buddy Lee a new agent, "come on Chase. Let's get you home."

Chase stood up letting Kim go. He looked back his eyes bloodshot from all of the crying he had done. He slumped into the car defeated not yet angery enough to want to kill someone. The shock of it all resting squarely on his tense shoulders.

The next week was horrible for Chase. He went to all of the funerals each on a different day for some reason. He said goodbye to all of them. At Jack's funeral he felt like crying again besides a few other agents and David Palmer there was no one else. NO one else to say goodbye. He saw Kate there and she was with another man, she had brought her new boyfriend to her exs' funeral. He hated her for it and barely could look at her as she tried to speak to him. He left angrily and went to the bar to drink. He was halfway through a bottle of Jack Daniels when someone sat next to him.

"You look like hell." Brad Hammond said sitting next to Chase.

"Thanks." Chase said downing another shot.

"I'm sorry I know they were all close to you. I'm actually glad I found you. Once you return back to CTU you will be the head of field ops." Hammond said. "About a week?"

Chase couldn't believe it Jack was barely in the ground and they were already replacing him.

"We've already had his stuff cleared out. There will be a new director of CTU we are flying her in tonight." Hammond said motioning for the bartender to give him a drink.

Chase downed another shot and said, "Whatever." And left the bar stumbling back to his apartment. He smelt Kim's perfume when he opened the door and collapsed just inside the apartment weeping again.

ALTERNATE ENDING: ANOTHER ENDING THAT WILL MAKE THIS STORY MUCH LONGER IS COMING ONCE A CERTAIN PERSON UPDATES HER STORY!!! AND SHE KNOWS WHO SHE IS


	2. alternate ending 1

The swat team walked into the abandoned building that was clearly empty. The continued to search the floors and Chase stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Jack lying on the ground blood all around him. He looked down and saw how pale Jack was. Chase walked over to him and checked for a pulse.

Chase felt a fait pulse and screamed for a medic as he was taking his coat off to apply pressure to the different wounds on Jack's chest. He pushed down hard sure he was probably crushing Jack's chest, but he couldn't ease up on the pressure he had to stop the bleeding. The medics rushed in behind him, one of them gently pulled Chase away. T he quickly hooked Jack up to the different machines and got him on the gurney. Quickly one of the EMT's inserted a tube down Jack's throat and connected it to a breathing back he squeezed in and released without fail.

They moved him through the building to the ambulance. Chase tried to follow but was stopped by Agent Baker. "Chase we need you here now. Kim and the others are still out there."

Chase was instantly torn between the two sides of himself. He loved Kim and had to find her, but he also needed to be there for Jack. He let the ambulance take off and watched helplessly as he assumed it would be the last time he would see Jack Bauer alive. Wiping the blood off his hands onto his black pants he looked at Baker, "Do we have a position on them yet?"

"The tracker stopped at the airport." Baker answered.

"Teams over there yet?" Chase inquired still watching the ambulance that was quite distant now.

"They will be there any moment along with more medical." Baker answered, "You got blood on your face." He finally said noticing more blood on Chase's face along with the bit he couldn't get off his hands.

Chase wanted to say he had more than just blood on his face, he had real blood on his hands, and old blood too. He was responsible for all of this he didn't get there in time to help them. He should have known something was going to happen, he should have guards posted outside of Jack's room, he should have never let Michelle go through with the plan she had presented him frantically in Jack's office.

Chases cell phone rang and it took him out of the trance he had been in, "Edmunds."

"Chase it's Chloe." Chloe said in a nervous voice. She didn't want to call him but someone had to and no one else would do their jobs.

"Saunders got away." Chloe said finally.

"What about Kim, Michelle and Tony?" Chase said hoping he wouldn't hear what he thought he would hear.

"They are on their way to the hospital." Chloe said.

"How bad?" Chase closed his eyes trying to hope for the best.

"I don't know Chase." She said into the phone.

"Do we have any way of tracking Saunders?" Chase almost whispered intot he phone.

"Not yet. WE are trying."

"TRY HARDER" Chase yelled hanging the phone up. His anger was building up he just might have lost everything today.

Baker knew what happened and said, "I'll drive you to the hospital come on."

When they reached the hospital no one would tell them anything. A nurse politely asked Chase, "Go take a seat I the waiting room and I will tell you once I know of their conditions." She wasn't suppose to give information out to him anyways.

"Please just tell me how they are." Chase begged as Baker pulled him away before he got them thrown out.

After what seemed like endless hours of pacing, than sitting, than pacing more the nurse walked into the empty waiting room where Chase and Baker waited to hear the fates of the people.

"Mr. Edmunds." Nurse from before asked looking at Chase.

"How are they?" He asked sitting down as the weight of what could be landed on him again. His stomach tightened and he felt like he was going to be sick those few seconds it took her to breath and answer his question.

"Mrs. Almedia didn't make it. Mr. Almedia is in guarded condition. Ms. Bauer is in critical condition, and Mr. Bauer is still in surgery."

"What does that mean?" Chase said putting his head in his hands hoping to hear good news.

"Mr. Almeida will probably live. Ms. Bauer has about a ten percent chance. She was shot in the head and it took a good portion of her skull off along with some of her brain. We aren't sure if she will be able to survive without the machines hooked up to her. Her next of kin is in surgery and we do not know of anyone else so we will leave her on the machines until Mr. Bauer is able to tell us what to do or she passes."

Chase felt the tears drip out of his eyes into his ever increasing bloody hands. "What about Jack?"

"WE don't know about Mr. Bauer. He seems to be fighting but we do not know. They are trying to repair the damage done and get blood back into him. The best thing you can do for him now if you are religious is pray." The nurse said feeling sorry for the young man that sat in front of her.

"Can I see Kim?" Chase said wiping the tears out of his eyes and lifting his head up.

"Technically you are not supposed to be able to only family. But from my understanding you are her boyfriend right?"

"Yes ma'am." Chase said.

"I will let you in for a few minutes since no one else can be there." The nurse said making a decision against hat could make her lose her job. She led the young man to the room and stood outside for a moment watching as he cautiously approached the bed and held the young woman's hand. The nurse left when he started to cry she felt like that was a private thing and he should have his privacy to say goodbye because that was what he was doing in essence as the nurse knew there was no way she would wake up from her state.

A few hours later the nurse returned to find the young man sleeping in a chair holding the girls hand. She checked on the girl and nothing had change the machine was still breathing for her. She didn't wake the young man she just left a note for him to find her when he woke. She had news on Mr. Bauer. She walked out to the lounge to find the man from earlier the hot Asian asleep in a chair also. She called the man who had told her to give them a status on Mr. Bauer as soon as they had one. "Is Mr. Hammond there?" S he said once she heard someone answer the phone CTU.

"Hold please." Chloe said knowing it was the hospital by the number that came up. She dialed the extension to Jack's office where Hammond now sat resting his elbows on the desk and his head in his hands.

He jumped when the phone rang, "Hammond."

"Sir the hospitals on the phone."

"Patch them through." Brad said feeling horrible part of him hoping Jack had died, he could only guess how Jack would react to his daughter, who inevitably would die or that is what the nurse had tried to convey.

"This is Brad." He said once the phone clicked over.

"Mr. Hammond Mr. Bauer just got out of surgery. He is in critical condition and we have guards posted outside all of the rooms."

"Is he going to live?"

"We don't know. He took quite a beating today and we just don't know." The nurse told the truth they were not sure. They didn't expect him to survive the surgery but he had.

"Are the two agents still there?" Brad asked inquiring about Chase and Baker who he had been informed left the scene to go to the hospital once they found out they couldn't track Saunders nor could they save anyone anymore. Brad had been angry at first because they should have reported back for debriefing, but a part of him understood why Chase was there, and he knew Baker was just trying to help the fellow agent out, but he still would reprimand them.

"Yes sir. They both are asleep. Mr. Edmunds is in with Ms. Bauer." The nurse felt a tear well up in her eye because she was so taken by how much the boy seemed to care for the woman.

"Thank you very much for calling." Brad said not knowing what to do now. All of his star players were out of it, and somehow Tony Almedia and Michelle were behind it all along with Saunders. "What about Mr. Almedia?"

"he's asleep he'll probably be awake in the morning." The nurse answered.

"Thank you again." Brad said before hanging up. What was he going to do?

Chase jolted awake when he heard the alarms going off. He saw Kim in the bed and his heart sank automatically as he knew what the alarms meant. The doctors and nursed came rushing into the room and one pulled him out of it. He stood outside and watched them try to bring her back, but he knew in his heart she wasn't going to come back this time. She was gone. He felt his knees give out and he collapsed on the floor with a primal scream of pain as he watched her slip away.

He was pulled out of it when his cell phone kept ringing. He answered it trying to hide the pain he clearly was in, "Yeah."

"Chase it's Amanda I just wanted to let you know I have Angela. Chloe called me and told me what happened. I'll keep her here until you are ready for her." Amanda Chase's sister said in a caring tone. "how are they?"

Chase couldn't hold the tears back anymore, "Kim just passed."

"I'm so sorry Chase." Amanda truly was sorry she had liked Kim and she knew how much Chase had cared for her and Angela.

Chase saw the nurse from earlier and wiped the tears out of his eyes, "Thank you Amanda. I got to go the nurse is here about Jack."

"Ok call me back Chase." His sister said hanging the phone up exteremly worried about her brother.

The nurse noticed Chase's face and frowned, "I'm sorry about your lose." She said putting her arm around the young man.

"How is Jack?"

"He's out of surgery."

"Is he going to live? What are his chances?"

"I normally would say none. He's been through so much his body today and he lost so much blood. But we didn't think he'd survive surgery and he did all six hours of it. So I don't know." The nurse said telling the young man the truth. "he's strong and a fighter I can tell you that. He must be one stubborn son of a bitch in real life."

"That he was." Chase caught himself talking in the past tense and automatically felt bad.

"I'll lead you to his room if you want to see him. I don't know if he'll wake up any time soon and he does look pretty bad. We have a machine breathing for him because his body is so weak it can't do it itself. He was beaten pretty badly on top of the gun shot wounds. If he lives it's going to be a long process of getting back to normal for him. He's going to need physical therapy and it's going to be painful. I just want you to know what he is facing. Does he have any other family besides his daughter?" The nurse asked knowing family around always seemed to help the patient even when they were in a coma like Jack.

"No. His wife died a few years ago." Chase felt the tears coming back thinking about Kim. "And the only family I ever meant was his wives sister." Chase said swallowing hard trying to block the tears out.

"OK." The nurse said gently rubbing his back. "What I need you to do for him is go in there and talk to him. Act like everything is fine. I know it's really hard to do that, but we don't know what's going on with him. He may be able to hear you and he needs something to wake up for. Can you do this?"

"Yeah." Chase said wiping the tears out of his eyes. They were just outside the intensive care unit room Jack lay in. Chase looked inside and his face immediately showed the anguish he felt inside. The nurse noticed this and encouraged him, "it's ok."

Chase walked into the room looking at all the machines they had Jack hooked up to. He studied Jack's chest that was all wrapped up in gauze. Jack's face was bruised all over and there were stitches here and there on his face. Chase sat down in the chair next to him and laughed when he thought, 'Jacks gonna take all this crap off the minute he wakes up.' His smile faded quickly when his mind corrected him, 'if he wakes up'. "hey Jack." Chase said in the deadly silent room. The only noise was the faint beeping of the machine monitoring Jack's respiration rate and the sound of the machine breathing for him, which was very soothing. "I guess I'm not going to make it to the Dodgers game this weekend." He and jack had been joking about the dodgers game that they had missed going to because of a false terrorist alert that needed their utmost attention that turned out to be nothing more than baby powder.

Chase wasn't sure what to talk about it was hard to have a one sided conversation and the only thing he could think of was Kim was gone. He knew if Jack wok up that would probably kill him. Chases heart broke as he thought about Kim again he was going to ask her to marry him soon. He was ready to settle down with her, he was ready to become whatever she wanted, but he didn't have the chance to now. Chase was interrupted from that thought when Baker knocked on the door, "Mind if I join you ladies. Did want you molesting Jack, we all know how much you love him." Baker joked walking in the room.

Baker ignored the wounds on Jack and said, "Bauer wake your ass up we have terrorist to fight still. Come on you lazy bum going to quit on us right when it gets hard." Baker was joking and Chase knew it but it still stung some.

Baker leaned against the wall and said, "So Jack can I have your office till you get back?"

Chase looked at Baker angrily and Bake said, "Never mind I don't want to fight Jr. here for it. This boy has had to deal with you for awhile not going to step in on that."

Chase laughed he couldn't help it as he remembered all the good times as few as they may have been he had with Jack. He had looked up to Jack, idolized him, he would never admit it but it was quiet evident.

"Well I got to go Jack. I got Hammond all over me about the shit you caused today. Leave me to clean the mess up like usual. Talk to you tomorrow." Baker said looking at Chase smiling at him, "Call if you need to." Baker knew he was leaving Chase with a lot, but he had to go deal with the stuff back at CTU it was either he or Chase, and he knew Chase wouldn't' and he wouldn't even bother to ask.

Once Baker was gone Chases said, "I never knew he had a sense of humor. A little mean sense of humor." Chase looked at Jack, "Come on wake up." He said, "You got to wake up Jack you can't leave yet. You still have to help me finish this off. I can't do it on my own. I'm not even field op's anymore at least not active field op's we need Super Agent Jack Bauer to come in and show us bums how to handle it all."

Chase was fighting off sleep as the hours passed by. Each minute is seemed his eyeballs were getting heavier and harder to keep open. The nice nurse noticed this and walked into the room, "Mr. Edmunds why don't you go home and rest. If anything changes I will call you. I'm here until tomorrow evening and I'll keep an eye on him for you."

"I can't leave him." Chase said not wanting to leave afraid he'd wake up to the news.

"You have to take care of yourself too." She said. "Come on." She said looking at him in a motherly way.

Chase got out of the chair reluctantly and looked back once before he left the room to go and hail a taxi cab home. Chase walked into his empty house and couldn't stand it. He could smell Kim and he felt like breaking down. He grabbed some clean clothes and called his sister, "Amanda can you come get me my car's still at CTU."

"Sure Chase are you still at the hospital?"

"No I'm at home. I don't want to stay here tonight. I just can't. I can smell her and still feel her here."

"I'll be there in a minute Chase." Amanda said worried about her brother. She pulled up outside to find him sitting on the door step looking completely defeated. She got out of the car and hugged him. He cried into her shoulder, loud sobs of pain. "It's ok." She said not wanting to let him go. "Let's go back so you can get some sleep."

She watched him as she drove back to her house, his face never changed from the stony exterior. Once they got to her house he got out of the car and walked into the house with his head hung. He walked into the room where Angela was asleep on the small twin bed and he sat down on the edge watching his little girl sleep. How could he tell her Kim was gone forever? How could he do that to her? First her mother than the woman she had loved as a mother. He felt the tears streak down his face as he thought about what faced Jack when he woke up, Chase would have killed himself if he lost Angela and he was sure Jack would try when he found out. Chase curled up around his little girl and fell asleep next to her holding her protectively. His sister stood in the doorway and watched him the entire time until he was asleep. She turned the light out in the hallway and went to bed next to her husband holding him thankful they had not had to deal with a lost in the family yet. Her heart went out to the Jack Bauer who she had meant on two separate occasion and always considered him to be a kind man even though she knew what he had to do for a living.

Chase awoke when Angela started giggling in the morning when she found her father next to her. Chase opened his eyes and smiled at her. She was two years old now and growing still.

"Daddy what are you doing in my bed?" She laughed.

"It just looked so comfortable last night." Chase joked poking her. He got up and stretched.

"Where is Kim?"

The question he was hoping to postpone for awhile came out. Chase felt his blood run cold, it was going to be hard to explain to her. He saw his sister in the doorway trying to encourage him. "Well baby it's" he couldn't find a way to explain death to such a young child, his child. How do you tell something so innocent about all the evil in the world? He would be the one who would shatter her world of innocence's if he tells her. "Baby Kim was killed last night. She's in heaven with God and the angels now. She's not going to be back." Chase felt the tears start to rise and he pushed them down.

"Just like grandpa?"

"Yeah like grandpa baby." Chase remembered how he tried to explain to her why she never meant grandpa. "Jack must be sad."

"Yes he is baby." Chase's voice was cracking slightly as he thought of Jack and how Angela didn't seem to be effected yet by Kim's death, maybe she didn't understand that Kim was never going to come back.

"Angela why don't you go help Patrick make breakfast for daddy." Amanda called to her from the door way.

"Ok." Angela said running out of the room.

"You did a good job kiddo." She said walking over to Chase who she could tell was ready to cry again. "It's hard I know. I'll explain to her more later because you know the questions will start once she starts to think. Are you going to work today?"

"No." Chase wiped the tears out of his eyes. "I'm going to go visit Jack again."

"OK." She said trying to encourage him, "I know Angela will want to see him eventually you know how drawn to him she had been those few times she actually meant him."

"Yeah I know. Maybe when he looks better. Right now they have him hooked up to all of these machines, and we don't know if he is going to wake up." Chase felt it all resting on his shoulders. The weight of the world rested on him, and he had no one left to run to for help. Kim was dead, and Jack was out of action those had been the two people he had the most contact after his sister since he came back to L.A. and they were both gone or almost gone now.

"Will you be home for supper?" His sister asked.

"I don't know." Chase looked away from her not making eye contact he doubted it. He left shortly after not before saying goodbye to Angela and giving her a hug. He drove to the hospital expecting to walk in and find that Jack had passed during the night. Halfway there his cell phone rang and his blood ran cold before he looked at the caller id he was sure it was the phone call telling him not to bother. He grabbed the phone his hands shaking until he saw it was Jack's office number. "Edmunds" He answered a second later getting himself under control again.

"Chase where the hell are you?" Brad came over the phone clearly angry possibly too much coffee since he had not left the office from the previous day still.

"On my way to the hospital." Chase said knowing it would only bring more trouble he should be at work.

"Get your ass to work now or you won't have a job tomorrow."

"Than I guess I don't have a job sir." Chase said not willing to just go back to work, not yet, he had just lost someone he loved deeply and his boss his mentor was in the hospital battling for his life, there was no way he could go to work and be effective.

"Edmunds don't do this." Brad said softening some remembering what he heard about Chase's relationship with Kim.

"I'll question Tony while I'm there." Chase said feeling the need to talk to Tony all of the sudden to let him see what he caused now. It was now Tony's fault Chase had to find someone to blame. "So I will be doing my job, and I can be the guard for Jack. Saunders is still out there and if he finds out he didn't succeed yet he might come back to finish off the job."

Brad smiled the boy knew how to get what he wanted and still do his job, something he probably learned from Jack. "Fine. I will be by later today to talk to you about something's."

"I'll be in Jack's room." Chase said hanging the phone up surprised that Brad wasn't busting his balls.

Chase parked his car and put money into the parking meter. He walked into the hospital and searched around trying to remember where they had put Jack the night before. He found the nice nurse outside the cafeteria and she smiled at him, "Back already?"

"How is he?" Chase asked worry heavy on his voice.

"He's still hanging in there." She said trying to hold her smile.

"Has he woken up yet?"

"No. If he wakes up he probably won't be waking up anytime soon. He's been through a lot and his body wouldn't even be able to function right if he were to wake up, he'd be in a lot of pain." She said trying to break hard news to the man without ruining his hope.

"What about Tony Alemida?" Chase asked.

"he's awake, and recently found out about his wife. There are men outside his door as we speak making sure he doesn't escape." The nurse said not knowing much about the entire situation that brought everyone to the hospital.

"Thanks. Where is his room at?"

"I'll take you there." She said leading Chase towards Tony's room. They walked up a few floors and Chase saw Richardson and another man outside the door and he thanked the nurse.

He walked into Tony's room. Tony's eyes were bloodshot from crying and he had a bandage that covered part of his chest. Chase couldn't look him in the eyes afraid his hatred might show through.

"Why are you here?" Tony said his voice cracking thinking about Michelle.

"I wanted to talk to you." Chase said looking above Tony's head not making eye contact. If he saw anything other than utter sorrow in Tony's eyes he would have attacked him and tried to kill him.

"About what. Michelle's dead does it matter anymore."

"YES!" Chase screamed, "KIM dead. Jack's almost dead, and here you are. Imagine that Tony." Chase didn't know where the anger came from or why all of the sudden he couldn't control it anymore. "Imagine Saunders make sure to kill Kim and Michelle by putting a bullet through their head" Chase had to pause trying to block out the anger he felt and the pain the consumed him. He got his emotions under control quickly and went on, "But you got shot in the chest and are practically fine the next day. While the only person left in this entire debacle is fighting for his life with three bullets in his chest, and one more in the leg. And someone beat the crap out of him and by the looks of your hands." Chase stopped for a few minutes trying to control himself he couldn't attack Tony because Brad would have him taken off the case in seconds possibly fired. "Why?" Chase finally asked crumbling into a chair defeated. "Why Tony? Was this all worth it? Was Kim's life worth this? Why did you do this?"

Richardson heard Chase and walked in. "Come on Chase." He said knowing Chase was not going to get his answer and it would only make him angrier. Chase didn't want to get up first he finally looked into Tony's eyes and Tony saw nothing but pure hatred reflected back at him. Richardson helped Chase up, by practically pulling him out of the chair and pushing him out of the room. "Go visit Jack we got this here." He said pushing Chase away from the room.

Chase walked away his head hung, he couldn't believe Tony. He got to the intensive care floor and walked into Jack's room, there had been no guards anywhere and he thought it was strange. He slumped into the chair next to Jack's bed and as the nurse had said nothing had changed from the day before. Everything about Jack was still the same even his body position was the same. Chase felt the tears come down his face as he looked at Jack. He was interrupted when he heard someone yell, "Let me see the God Damn Bastard now."


	3. chapter 2

Chase sat up wiping the tears out of his eyes as he saw a nurse try to stop the woman he knew as Aunt Carol from coming into the room. The nurse pleading, "Ma'am I can't let you in only family is allowed in."

When Carol saw Chase in the chair she said, "He's not family and he's in here."

"He's a federal agent ma'am." The nurse said trying to remove her from the room. Carol finally looked at Jack the tears falling down her face. "Please just let me see him I won't hurt him. Chase is here to make sure of that. Don't want to hurt Jack now do we." She was clearly frantic. Chase shook his head at the nurse knowing there was no other way around it.

Carol stood back at the foot of the bed and looked down on the man that not only took her sister away from her, but now her niece. "You fucking asshole. It wasn't enough you ruined Teri's life, but you had to ruin Kim's too. I hope you die. You don't deserve to be breathing right now." She thought about pulling the tube out of his throat and watch him suffocate to death.

"It's not his fault." Chase said sticking up for Jack who couldn't stick up for himself.

"Don't you even defend him Chase. You know as well as I know if he would have taken the advice he game you and left Field Op's neither of us would be here right now. Teri would still be alive, and so would Kim." Chase stood as Carol walked closer to Jack. Chase didn't know what he could do if she decided to attack him. He would have to pull her away, but he also understood her pain even if he didn't blame Jack he could see her side.

"Is that all you have to say now?" Chase said looking at her seeing her tears run down her face making him want to cry too.

"I can't do anything else." She said, "Kim's funeral is Wednesday."

"I'll be there." Chase said.

"We were wondering if you would be willing to be pallbearer." She knew it was asking a lot but they had one spot that needed to be filled.

"Ok." Chase said not wanting to do it, but at the same time he needed to do it.

"Is he going to be awake by then?" Carol said saying he as if it were the worst thing on earth.

"Probably not. They don't even know if he is ever going to wake up again."

"What happened Chase?" She said needing to know.

"I don't know yet." Chase answered using a half truth.

"You wouldn't' tell me if you did."

"I might someday." Chase said looking at her.

Brad Hammond cleared his throat as he was in the doorway and had heard most of the conversation. "Excuse me." He said feeling as if he were intruding on something.

"Carol this is Brad Hammond he's the head of division."

"I was just leaving." Carol said walking past Bard.

Brad walked into the room and looked at Jack hiding the weary feelings he had about Jack ever coming around.

Chase slumped back into the chair again exhausted already from the three major events of the day. "What can I do for you sir?"

"When you return to CTU it was decided that you would head up Field Operations until we find someone to replace Jack or Jack comes back." Brad said knowing it would not be the thing Chase wanted to hear while it was a promotion it was also a sign of people giving up on Jack already.

Chase didn't know what to say. He looked at Jack and just stared at him until he heard alarms going off.

Chase first thought it was Jack crushing until one of the nurses ran into the room telling Brad, "Mr. Almedia has just taken a nurse hostage and is in the process of leaving the hospital."

Chase jumped up and looked at Brad, "Can you stay here with him?"

"Go this is your job I can watch Jack." Brad said knowing Chase should be able to track Tony.

Chase ran down the hallway to the hall that Tony had been on. He ran towards the parking garage but by time he reached the front Tony was already gone. "Get an APB out on him now. I want him before he leaves."

Tony was driving down the streets of L.A. in just the gown from the hospital. He had let the nurse go and was working with the cell phone in the car to call a few contacts he had collected over the years working with CTU.

He found one that was willing to work with him finally, a drug dealer that had help him set Jack's cover for the Salazar operation.

"It's going to cost you."

"I don't have any money." Tony said feeling the weight of his escape leveling on him.

"Information?"

"Like what?" He was already branded a traitor, his wife was dead, and he would have people after him wanting him dead, what was selling your country out after all of that. They had sold him out first.

"Whatever we want to know."

"Fine. Where can I meet you?"

"Meet me at the small airport off Main St."

"When?"

"As soon as possible you really pissed some people off and they want you bad."

Chase returned back to Jack's room. Baker and the others were out searching for Tony with very little hope of finding him. Brad saw Chase slump in the chair and he asked, "How much sleep have you gotten recently?"

"Let's not go there. Tony's probably gone. Bakers out looking for him but he had contacts because of CTU he's probably already out of the country." Chase sighed.

"We'll keep looking for him. Why don't you go home and be with your daughter for awhile. I got some paperwork I brought with me I can sit here and work on it and watch him." Brad felt guilty he didn't help Jack earlier when the injuries weren't as serous.

"I can't leave him." Chase said looking.

"Do it Chase. If he were to wake up know you know his stubborn ass would try to get out of the bed and smack some sense in you. Go take your daughter out to supper or something. Come back tonight or something. That's an order Agent Edmunds."

Chase stood up he was use to defying orders especially working with jack, but he knew Brad was trying to do what was best for him. "Call me if anything changes. If he even moves I want to know."

"Don't worry I'll keep you in the loop." Brad said smiling at Chase happy he was going to go home.

------------------

A week after Kim's funeral Chase went back to work. There still had been very little change in Jack, and Chase felt like his being there wasn't helping. Every night after work he would go see Jack and sit there for a few hours talking about the stupid stuff that went on throughout the day. They had no clue where Saunders or Tony was, and Chase felt as if he were failing Jack, which was part of the reason his visits got less and less long.

One night Chase returned to his sister's house still not staying at his own place and he had heard Angela crying in her room. Chase knocked on the door and walked in. "Hey Kiddo." He said walking in.

Angela wiped the tears away from her eyes and looked at him trying to act strong. "I miss Kim."

"So do I baby. So do I. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No I understand she's never coming back." Angela said looking at her father seeing the pain in his eyes. "What about Jack? Why wasn't he at Kim's funeral does he hate her?"

Chase sat on the bed almost in tears, "No baby. Jack's sick." Chase didn't know what to say to her.

"Is he in the hospital?"

"Yes baby." Chase said putting his arm around her.

"Can I go see him some time? He came and saw me when I had the chicken pox."

"Yeah baby. We can go tomorrow." Chase said not really wanting to take her to see Jack who still looked horrible even if some of the bruises on his face were fading, and some of the stitches would be coming out of his face soon.

"Ok. Can we get him something to make him feel better?" She asked her father her eyes big and sparkling.

"Sure we can go to the gift shop tomorrow." He said hugging her. "It's late go to bed now."

"Ok daddy. I love you."

"I love you too honey." Chase tucked her into the bed and kissed her goodnight before turning the night-light on and the main light off closing the door. He walked into the living room and slumped onto the couch.

Her sister's husband came in and handed him a glass of scotch. "Thought you could use that."

"Thanks." Chase said swallowing the scotch quickly. He closed his eyes and felt himself drift off.

His sister noticed this and took the glass out of his hand and covered him up with a blanket.

The next morning Chase was woken by Angela climbing onto the couch with him. He smiled at her as she snuggled up against him. "Daddy your still in the same clothes as yesterday."

"I know baby. Daddy's getting up. Go see if Aunt Amanda will help you get breakfast while daddy goes and takes a shower so we can go visit Jack."

Angela got up and quickly went she figured the faster she moved the quicker she'd get to see Jack. Chase walked past his sister who stopped him, "Are you sure you want her to see him?"

"She wants to. And I don't see how it could hurt her." Chase said thinking as long as he doesn't die while we are there.

"It's your choice Chase."

"I know and I made it." He said walking to the bathroom suddenly angry again. He thought about going home tonight leaving Angela with his sister so he could have some time on his own he still had not faced the fact that Kim was gone yet. He hurried through his shower hearing Angela knocking on the door trying to rush him. "Have you gotten dressed yet?" He called from the shower.

He heard her scurry away down the hall to get dressed. He got out and dressed himself walking out to find Angela at the front door with his key's and wallet in hand. "Let's go daddy."

"I got to get my shoes on." He said when she laughed, they were next to her.

He smiled and walked over sitting on the steps to put his shoe's on. Angela jokingly climbed onto his shoulders while he did so. He smiled at her and carried her out to the car like that. He grabbed the child seat out of his sisters car and put it in the SUV. He buckled her in and smiled, "Are you sure you want to see him? He's really sick honey. He won't be able to talk to you, and will be asleep the entire time. They have him hooked up to a lot of machines."

"Will he know I'm there?"

"I think so baby."

"Than I want to go. He would visit me if I were that sick." She said with a straight face.

"Ok baby. If you change your mind that's ok. Jack won't be mad at you. He would understand."

"I know daddy. Let's go put the pedal to the medal."

"Yes ma'am." Chase said turning the car on and backing out of the driveway. He had already informed Hammond he would be out of the office today, and Hammond was fine with it, he knew Chase was going through a lot and understood even if that meant more work for him.

When they reached the hospital Brenda, the friendly nurse that had helped Chase through the entire ordeal greeted him as he walked through intensive care unit with Angela carrying a teddy bear and flowers for Jack. Brenda smiled and asked, "An who is this?"

Angela hid behind Chase's leg and Chase smiled, "This is Angela. Angela this is the nice nurse that's been taking care of Jack."

Angela peaked her head out and said, "Hi."

Brenda looked at Chase and asked, "Is she yours?"

"yeah the little rotten girl is mine."

"Hey daddy." Angela said pushing his leg.

"Oh I meant the perfect little angel behind me is mine." Chase smiled.

"Well I won't take up anymore of your time." She said letting him go to Jack's room. Angela walked behind him looking back at the nurse and smiled. She stopped smiling when she walked into the room and saw Jack lying on the bed with all the machines hooked up to him. She immediately went over to the chair and climbed up standing on it so she could see him better.

"Be careful baby." Chase said worried she might do something that would hurt Jack.

"Can I touch him?"

"Sure baby just don't' touch the bandages."

Angela took Jack's big hand into her little hand and kissed it. She stood up and reached over him kissing his cheek, "Wake up Jack." She said looking at him.

"He's not going to wake up baby."

"Is he like Kim?"

"No honey." Chase said his voice cracking slightly.

Angela grabbed the teddy bear she had dropped off as she walked into the room on a small table by the door. She walked back over climbing on the chair again to reach Jack.

Brenda, the nurse watched as Angela put the small teddy bear by Jack's head. "There he should protect you from the bad guys. He looks exactly like my bear, Jackie. What do you think we should name him Jack?"

Brenda felt a tear come to her eye. She knew long ago that she had cross the patient-nurse boundaries. She crossed it when she started to check up on Jack even on her breaks, than started referring to him by name instead of the patient with multiple gunshot wounds, and even now when she started to worry about him more than she normally should. She was letting her feelings cloud her judgment.

"We'll name him Sunny. How does that sound Jack?"

"Baby he can't answer you." Chase said feeling as if his heart was splintering even more as he watched her with him.

"I know that, but I can still talk to him can't I?" She suddenly became worried she might be hurting him by talking to him.

"Yeah you can." Chase said. He was taken out of thought when he heard someone say, "Ma'am you can't come in here." It was one of the guards in the hallway.


	4. chapter 3

"Call Chase." A pause as she tried to remember his last name. She had only meant him a few times and even than Kim had only introduced him as Chase her dad's partner whenever he got back in town, and her boyfriend.

Chase looked out the hallway and saw Kate Warner. Kate's face lit up when she saw him, with anger and excitement. "Chase please let me see him." Kate called pleading.

"Let her in guys." Chase said remembering who she was very well from the number of times he heard Jack talk about her on the long nights they spent together after the Salazar operation, Jack trying to figure out why she left him.

Kate walked into the room and gasped when she saw him he was much worse than she had expected. She never noticed Angela because she was taken back by the way he looked when she entered. His face so pale except the reddish-purple bruises that covered various spots on his face. Yet he looked at peace, even with the heave bandaging over his chest. "Why didn't you call me?" She said feeling her legs go weak under her as she saw more damage on him, so she grabbed the edge of the bed to hold her up.

"You had the new guy Kim had told me about, and I didn't want to bother you." Chase said trying to keep himself and Kate calm because of Angela being in the room.

Kate finally noticed Angela and looked at her standing over Jack, "Can we talk somewhere else?"

Brenda interrupted knowing there was a need the little girl didn't need to hear whatever was going on, "I'm on break I can watch Jack and Angela while you two go talk."

Chase didn't want to leave Angela there with Brenda, who technically could be considered a stranger even if he had talked to her many times during the past few weeks, but he couldn't have the conversation that Kate needed to have with Angela in the room. "Are you sure?" He finally said after a minutes thought.

"Yea I got a few hours off between shifts."

"Thank you. Angela be good for Brenda."

"I will daddy. Brenda what's this for?" Angela said pointing at the tube that ran into Jack's mouth. "That has to be uncomfortable does it go all the way down his throat?"

Chase and Kate walked out of the room to the end of the hallway. Chase looked back once and heard Brenda explaining everything connected to Jack. "I'm sorry Kate I didn't know your number and I didn't think you would want to be bothered."

"Bothered. Do you know what it feels like to be sitting at work when someone says, 'Hey that man you went out with Jack Bauer he's in the hospital and I guess his daughter died. How is he?' And you didn't even know. I didn't even get a chance to attend her funeral." Kate finally remembered who Chase was, or it finally hit her, "Oh my God Chase I'm so sorry."

"It's fine Kate." Chase said knowing what she meant. He turned around when he heard Angela scream, "Daddy come check this out."

"GO ahead." Kate said needing a moment to collect herself before she went back into the room.

Chase walked into the room and almost freaked when he saw Angela squeezing the ball to the instrument used to take blood pressure around Jack's arm. He saw Brenda behind her but his gut still tighten.

"It's ok Chase." Brenda said smiling. "Angela noticed on Jack's chart that no one had taken his blood pressure in awhile and she insisted on doing it. I think you have a doctor on your hands here."

"Really?" Angela said excited.

"Yeah." Brenda said smiling at her. "How about something to color?"

"Please."

"Sure let me go see what I can scrounge up for you." Brenda looked at Chase as she walked out of the room, "Do you need some coffee or something to drink?"

"No I'm fine." Chase said sitting in the chair by the bed that had become his post recently.

Kate entered the room again and Chase stood up as she walked in. He moved so she could sit next to Jack. He walked over to Angela and said, "Let's give Kate a few minutes with Jack. You need lunch anyways. Let's see if we can get the nice nurse lunch for watching you."

"OK daddy. Bye Kate it was nice to meet you. I'm Angela."

"By Angela." Kate said with a smile.

Chase found Brenda at the front desk and said, "Angela and I are going to get lunch would you like to join us. I'd like to thank you for helpful you've been recnetnly. I don't think I'd get through this without someone helping and you have helped a lot."

"Sure but only if I buy my own lunch." Brenda said smiling she didn't want anything with Chase, well she wanted something but he had just lost his girlfriend and she didn't want to be the rebound.

"Deal." He said smiling. Angela giggled and they walked down to the cafeteria to eat.

When they returned the Doctor was there doing his rounds. He spoke to Brenda for a second outside Jack's room and Chase tried to listen in, but Angela was talking to Jack to loud. When the doctor left Brenda came in with a smile on her face, "Chase can I talk to you outside for a minute."

"Sure." Chase walked outside the room worried that something was wrong.

"The doctor thinks Jack might be strong enough to breath on his own. He wants to take him off the machine in a few minutes to see if he can do it on his own. If you could take Angela home or at least away incase it doesn't work out right."

"How sure is he?" Chase said worried.

"If he can't do it, than the doctor will hook him back up to the machine. But we should try." She said trying to encourage him.

"Ok. I'm going to take her home and I probably she go to work and get some stuff done. Please call me and let me know how it goes."

"Sure I have your cell phone number on file. I'll call you."

"Thank you." Chase said walking away to get Angela. "Come on Kiddo you need to go home and let Jack's ears rest some and Daddy needs to go into work."

"Daddy do I have to go home? I don't want to leave Jack alone."

"That's why Sunny's here and Brenda will keep him company. Come on kiddo you can come back this weekend."

'He's still going to be here than? Isn't he homesick?"

"Probably baby. Come on let's get out of here for awhile." Chase said standing in the doorway.

Angela climbed on the chair again and kissed Jack's cheek, "Bye Jack."

Chase smiled at his daughter when she ran up to him and jumped up into his arms. He carried her out of the hospital to the car. The drive home made him extremely nervous no hearing from Brenda on how it went, he felt his stomach turn anxiously and he was trying to hide it from Angela in the back.

When they reached the house she ran inside and began to tell her aunt about the entire day she spent with Jack, how she learned about all the cool machines hooked up to him, and than how she took his blood pressure, not forgetting to leave out the really sweet beautiful nurse Brenda. Amanda smiled at Chase when she heard Brenda mentioned. Chase shook his head and jumped when his phone rang. "Edmunds"

"Don't you people say hello ever?" Brenda joked.

"Force of habit. You're lucky I didn't answer CTU Edmunds." Chase was sure it had to go good if she was joking.

"He's breathing on his own. The doctor is pleased with his status. A few more days and he might wake up."

Chase felt like screaming hell yeah, but he settled for a huge grin. His sister noticed this. "Thank you very much Brenda."

"No problem Edmunds. See you tomorrow?"

'Yeah I'll probably be back tonight."

"Ah you'll miss me."

"Not going to be the same." Chase joked he noticed himself flirting and felt guilty instantly. "I got to go thank you." He said hanging up.

"What happened?" Amanda asked noticing the smile on her brothers face she hadn't seen in awhile.

"They took Jack off the breathing machine. He's breathing on his own now."

"Oh that's good." Amanda said smiling happy her brother was happy.

"I got to go to work." Chase said, "Can you keep Angela one more night. I'm going to stay at home tonight and. ." he couldn't finish the sentenced his smile fading quickly.

"Go ahead. I'll keep her as long as you need."

"Thank you Amanda."

"What are sisters for?"

Chase was unable to focus much at work. He kept thinking about the improvement that Jack had made and started to wonder maybe Jack could pull through. Chase had his nagging doubt since day one, but he finally might have something to hope for, to hold onto. Chase sat at Jack's desk he had taken over since he became the acting director of Field Operations. He was not sure who was going to be the director of CTU, so far Hammond had been handling it, but they had to bring someone new in eventually. Chase was flipping through a file mindlessly when he heard Chloe clear her throat. Chase looked up and saw her in the doorway. "Hey Chloe." He said smiling looking for a distraction.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Sure about what." Chase said looking at a chair for her to sit in.

"Well I've noticed you haven't been to work, and when you are you really aren't working."

Chases felt his patience wear thin, if she came up here to talk about his work etiquette he just couldn't take it. "What's your point?" Chase said showing she was already treading on thin ice.

"I was worried about you. You are the only friend I have and I wanted to make sure you were ok. Losing Kim and all. And all the time you've spent in the hospital with Jack. I'm worried about you Chase."

Chase felt like an asshole for snapping on her earlier. "Yeah I'm fine."

"Chase I know you are far from fine. How is Jack doing?" Chloe said knowing she wouldn't get a straight answer out of him about himself.

"He's improving some." Chase said not looking her in the eye.

"Are you going tonight?"

"Yeah once I get off work." Chase said looking at the clock not that long from now.

"Can I go with you?" Chloe asked really wanting to go see the man she had respected and feared, but she couldn't do it alone.

"You don't have to Chloe. I know how much you dislike Jack." Chase said looking at her finally and seeing his comment had hurt her.

"No I really want to Chase. Can I go with you?"

"Sure." Chase said wondering why she had been hurt by his comment so much. He had always understood there was a mutual dislike between Chloe and Jack. Not so much that Jack hated, her he loved how she did her job, but they never got along. Their anti-social personalities clashed on more than one occasion and Chase would have to step in to stop them from fighting.

"Can I help you with something?" She said noticing the paperwork that was piling up on his desk.

"Not really." Chase noticed the work himself. He would work on it this weekend while he sat at the hospital. "Let's go." He said knowing the next hour would be torture waiting for his time to leave.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah just let me tell Hammond." Chase said grabbing the phone telling Hammond they were leaving to go visit Jack. Hammond didn't say anything against it he had noticed Chase lack of work, and he knew Chloe was a pain in the ass he didn't want to deal with so he was more than happy to let htem leave together.

Chase and Chloe talked about little things on the way there, Angela and how fast she was growing. Anything but what they both were thinking or any of the forbidden subjects. Chase walked past the guards straight to Jack's room. He smiled when he walked in Jack was off the machine and he could see his chest moving up and down slowly as he breathed on his own.

Chloe gasped in the doorway, not having seen Jack when he looked worse. She almost had tears in her eyes from seeing the frail figure on the bed that use to be Jack Bauer. She had never seen him this down, even when he was in the height of his withdrawal symptoms he still had not looked this weak or this vulnerable. She took a seat and smiled as she saw the teddy bear by his head, "Angela's?" She asked.

"Yeah she bothered me to come see him, and I couldn't tell her no." Chase said smiling at the thought of what Jack would be doing right now if he knew Chloe was here and he had a teddy bear watching over him, for some reason none of it fit the macho Jack Bauer they all knew. But than neither did his addiction, but than no one really knew Jack. They only knew what he wanted them to know. Chase had still not learned about his childhood, or even how he and Nina originally hooked up, or even where Jack grew up. All he knew was that Jack was an ex Delta man, and what had happened at CTU during his career.

"Do they know when he's going to wake up?" She asked quietly as if she were to wake him if she talked to loud.

"No. Or they haven't told me."

A doctor walked in the room than and smiled at Chase who he had known from all his previous visits and the new person with him.

"How is he today doc?"

"Doing better. As you see we got him off the machine and he's breathing pretty much on his own. And I'm optimistic he'll wake up soon. It's all on him now. We've done everything we can for him." The doctor said fiddling with the machines taking notes. He said goodbye and left.

Chloe stood up to look at Jack and said, "He looks weird with the beard. I've never seen him with one."

"Yeah it's not really his best look. I guess he use to sport it when he wasn't at CTU." Chase said trying to take his mind off anything but the woman who looked like Jack so much, and the pain he felt remembering her. He didn't know if he could continue visiting Jack every time he did he was reminded of what he had lost, and part of him blamed Jack and everyone else, everyone but himself and Kim. "We better get out of here. We both have work in the morning." Chase said standing up and looking at Jack again.

"Yeah thanks Chase." Chloe said standing up and touching Jack's hand lightly for no real reason other than she wanted to know he was still there.

--


	5. 4

Chase walked into his house tired from the long emotionally painful week. He could still smell her especially in the bedroom. He walked inside the room and saw her clothes hanging in the closet, a picture of them on the nightstand along with a picture with her with her mother and father. He had bothered her about getting rid of it or at least moving it somewhere else because he always felt like Jack was starring at him from the picture threatening to kill him every time he touched Kim. He turned the pictures over not able to look at them as they brought him even more pain. He had not had time to mourn her lost yet. He had missed her, but he was so busy with Jack, work, and worrying about Angela that he hadn't been able to handle his own thoughts a feeling so he just blocked them out. He wondered if this is what Jack had done after he lost Teri. Chase thought it had to be worse because Jack had no one to fall back on to help him, he had to deal with his own guilt and pain with no one to help him. Chase had most of CTU, his sister, and even Jack in a sad way to help him through. Jack had no one at the time, Kim left shortly afterwards and she had spoken about all the times she had found her father staring at the wall, or at his wrist.

Chase collapsed on the bed smelling her stronger now. God he couldn't sleep like this, but he didn't want to wash the blankets he didn't want to lose her yet. He got up and walked out to the living room. He didn't have any alcohol in the house he had kept a few beers around, but he didn't have any now, and it was to late to go buy some places had long since stopped selling alcohol. He sat on the couch with his head in his hands, Kim's voice going through his mind, her face smiling at him, trying to comfort him, but she wasn't there and she never would be there again. He would never get to see her, or tell her how much he loved her. It broke his heart even more when he thought to himself, maybe Jack shouldn't wake up because it will kill him when he finds out Kim' gone. Kim was all he had left, or all jack figured he had left. Family wise it was all he had left, but Chase had tried to be there for Jack he had wanted to help his mentor out. Chase's eyes were getting heavier as the hours passed and finally around four in the morning the drooped closed only to be opened a few hours later when his cell phone rang.

Chase jumped off the couch expecting it to be the hospital, Jack was gone. "Edmunds." Chases voice holding the note of exhaustion he still felt.

"Daddy are you ok?" Angela came over the phone she had a nightmare that he was like Jack and wanted to call him, had been insistent on calling him.

"Yeah baby. I just stayed at home tonight."

"Can we go see Jack today? It's Saturday and you promised you'd take me to see him this weekend."

"Yeah ok." It was Saturday all ready, where did the time go by Chase thought to himself.

"I colored some pictures for him room, and Aunt Amanda is going to take me to get some new flowers for the room since the old ones are starting to die."

"Great honey. Is your aunt there?"

Angela handed Amanda the phone and she said, "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I'll be around in a few hours to pick her up. I'm sorry if she woke you up."

"it's fine she was just worried about you. But I promised her a toy and some stuff so I better got take her shopping." Amanda said goodbye and left Chase to himself again.

Chase lay back down for a few hours tossing and turning unable to sleep. He got up and went into the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror he could see the dark circles under his eyes that made it look like he had two black eyes. God he was tired but he couldn't sleep. He needed to shave badly too. He got into the shower letting the warm water try and calm his tired body. He got out and shaved quickly dressing he was in a rush to get moving, he had to stop thinking it was tearing him apart. He ran out to his car, running from the thoughts the house brought up, he called his sister, "Is Angela almost ready?"

"Yeah we are back at the house now. She got you something." Amanda said smiling she knew he'd like it even if it had come from someone other than Angela.

"I'll be there in a few minutes." When Chase pulled up to the house he saw Angela looking out the window smiling, Chase put on his happy face and walked up to the door which opened as soon as he was in front of it.

"Daddy." Angela said grabbing his legs and hugging them.

"Hey kiddo." Chase said bending down to pick her up.

"I got you somethin daddy."

"Did you." Chase said walking inside.

"Put me down so I can get it." She said smiling still ear to ear.

Chase set her down and watched her run down the hallway to grab his gift. She returned with a box and handed it to him. He opened it and saw a new watch inside. He looked at his sister and couldn't believe it.

"Read it daddy." Angela said trying to get him to look on the back of it.

Chase pulled the watch out and looked at the back of it. He read it, _ For the best dad in the world._ Chase felt a tear in his eye and he smiled, "Thank you very much." He picked Angela and hugged her. He looked at his sister holding back tears, "You shouldn't have."

"Chase just shut up and take the gift." His sister said smiling at him. "Now go see Jack cuz this little woman has been talking my ears off about him."

"Thank you." Chase said lowering Angela. "Get your stuff honey."

Angela ran back to the room and emerged this time with a big bag.

"What's in there?" Chase said.

"Stuff." Angela said laughing. "It's a secret." She smiled at Amanda who just shook her head at Chase. "Let's go daddy. He's probably lonely."

"Yes ma'am." Chase said mach saluting her. She was quiet on the ride to the hospital and when they got there she was almost to hyper Chase thought about not taking her in. When they walked through Brenda was there again and smiled at Angela, "Hello Angela."

"Hi. How's he doing?" Angela said all adult like.

"He's doing good. What's that?" Brenda said noticing the bag she was dragging.

"Some stuff." Angela giggled again.

Angela walked into Jack's room and saw a woman standing over him. "Who are you?" Angela said looking up at her almost with a glare worried she was hurting Jack.

"I'm a doctor. Who are you?" The woman smiled at her.

"I'm Angela."

Chase walked into the room when he heard Angela talking to someone. The woman smiled and held out her hand, "Hi you must be Chase I've heard about."

"Yeah." Chase said shaking her hand slightly confused. "What happened to the other doctor?"

"He's still his doctor. Once Jack wakes up I'm going to be his physical therapist help him get back up and moving again. I just came in to check on his progress." She said smiling at Chase.

"Oh." Chase said a little embarrassed.

"Well I leave you to visit. It was nice meeting you Angela." The woman left the room looking back once at Jack who still lay in the bed.

Chase pulled out his briefcase he had been carrying and pulled out the laptop and started working while he listened to Angela talk to Jack about everything she had done. He watched her pull some of the contents of the bag. A few pictures she had colored, a few coloring books, some crayons, and than a small box.

"What's that baby?"

"What?" She said trying to look innocent at her father.

"What's in the box Angela?"

"A gift for Jack when he wakes up." Angela said looking at Jack, "If the sleepy head wakes up he can have his gift. Aunt Amanda and I thought he might need something to wake up for, and what better than a gift."

"Remind me to talk to Aunt Amanda later."

"Ok daddy. Can you hang the pictures up for him." Angela said holding up the two colorings she had. One of the U.S. flag that had been poorly colored, but what could he expect from a two year old, Chase moved her out of the way and reached over the bed hanging the picture up above Jack's head. "How's that?"

"Good daddy. Now go back to work." She was laughing again.

Chase smiled and went back to work. After a few hours of work he set the laptop down and rested his head against the wall tired. He fell off into a sleep and Angela giggled as she saw him fall asleep. She kept quiet for awhile.

She was coloring when she looked up and saw tears coming out of Jack's closed eyes. She climbed up on the chair and than worked the guts up to climb onto the bed. She made sure not to touch any part of him that had the white wraps around it, like her father had warned earlier. She tried not to touch him at all. She kneeled on the bed next to his arm and wiped the tears away, "Don't cry Jack everything's going to be fine. Kim is looking after us now." Angela sat there for awhile just wiping the tears out of his eyes trying to reassure him everything was fine. Finally she curled up putting her head lightly on his arm and falling asleep as it was way past her nap time.

Chase woke up with a jolt he hadn't heard Angela and started to worry when he looked over in the chair she had been in and she wasn't there. He looked at Jack and saw her sleeping next to him.

Chase for a second panicked thinking she might be hurting him when Brenda was in the doorway and said, "Don't worry she's not hurting him. S he's clear of all his injuries." She could tell by his face what he was thinking. "Cute isn't it."

"Yeah" Chase said smiling wondering what had got her to climb onto the bed.

"He must have been crying or something, not completely unusual and a good sign he might be coming around soon. She was in here telling him everything was ok." Brenda stood in the doorway amazed by the child's innocents wishing she could go back to that time, Chase was wishing with her. Everything was always simple when you were a child, there were no responsibilities you had to worry about and everything was pure.

Chase almost jumped when he looked back up to see Jack's eyes open. Jack was studying the room his vision blurred, he could barely see anything and his chest hurt, he moved his eyes down, not even contemplating lifting his head, if he was this dizzy lying down he didn't want to chance lifting his head up. He saw a little girl curled up lying on his arm. He tried to figure out who it was, it wasn't Kim, Kim was to old. But before he could figure it out he fell back asleep.

"Did you see that?" Chase said excited.

"Yeah." Brenda said smiling. "I'll let the doctor know. He'll probably be in and out of consciousness for awhile, and probably confused." She said smiling still almost ear to ear she was so happy for Jack and Chase who had been there faithfully every day.

Chase yawned and stretched a new energy about him. He sat there for an hour waiting to see Jack open his eyes again. He almost jumped when Angela woke up. She looked at her dad scared at first as she noticed she was still on the bed with Jack, scared he'd be mad at her.

"Hey baby." Chase said smiling. Angela climbed off the bed and moved over to her father, "daddy I'm hungry."

"Ok babie." Chase said not wanting to leave Jack incase he woke again, but than he had to deal with his daughters basic needs. Chase stood up and was trying to find a solution when Brenda walked in the room with a McDonalds bag.

"You guys have been here all day I decided to grab someone a happy meal when I went to lunch." Brenda said handing Chase the happy meal.

Angela giggled at the joke, "What did you get me?"

"Oh you yeah." Brenda yanked the happy meal out of Chases hands and handed Angela the happy meal. "I hope you like chicken nuggets."

Angela smiled, "I love them. Thank you." Angela grabbed the bag and moved over to the chair. She ate them watching Jack who was asleep still.

"Thank you." Chase said when she handed him a bag with a sandwich in it. "How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing. It's for making my shifts so interesting." Brenda said standing next to Chase.

Chase stood up and said, "Take a seat ma'am. It is your break after all."

"Where are you going to sit?" Brenda said looking around the room without any more chairs.

Chase walked over and lifted Angela onto the foot of the bed. She giggled and almost spilled her drink on Jack. Chase took her chair and ate his food starving. Angela was looking at Jack when she screeched, "He's awake again daddy."

Chase looked over at Jack who's eyes were open again. "Hey Jack." Chase said smiling at him.

Brenda walked over and leaned over him, "How do you feel Jack?"

Jack tried to speak, but his throat was to dry and he was still so tired why was he so tired, and he felt a slight pain in his chest. He fought to keep his eyes open longer than the last time, he saw the little girl again this time she towered over him looking down smiling at him. His foggy mind thought about who she was and finally it clicked it was Chase's little girl. Jack looked around the room he didn't see Kim. Where was Kim? Why was he there again? IN an extremely weak voice that only Angela heard he asked, "Where is Kim?"

"What was that Jack?" Chase said not hearing him.

Angela answered Chase, "He asked where Kim was. Why doesn't he know she's with God and the Angels?"

Chase saw the pain on Jack's face instantly understanding what Angela meant. Chase almost broke down as he saw Jack start to cry. Jack tried to sit up and was getting ready to rip the IV out of his arm. Chase grabbed Angela off the bed and quickly pushed Jack down before he hurt himself. Chase made sure to steer clear of the gunshot wounds.

Jack thrashed weakly in the bed trying to get free of Chase ignoring the pain he was causing himself. Brenda ran out of the room to grab a doctor and some sedative. The doctor walked back into the room and saw Jack's emotional state and asked, "Can you keep him still?"

"Yeah." Chase said holding Jack down with a little more force. The doctor inserted the needle into Jack's IV and pushed the sedative in. Chase held Jack down until the sedative kicked in and Jack relaxed tears streaming out of his face still. "I'm sorry Jack." Chase said looking away in shame it was his fault. "I'm so sorry."

Angela sat in the corner scared not understanding what was going on. Chase heard her crying and he turned around, "Oh come here baby."

Angela walked over to him crying almost as hard as Jack had been, "Why doesn't he like me daddy?"

"Oh baby he does. He was just upset about Kim. He misses her."

"So do I daddy."

"So do I baby. So do I." Chase looked down at Jack who had drifted off to sleep again.

Amanda came by the hospital a few hours later just to check up on them when she walked in the room Angela was asleep in Chases arms and she could see Chase was fighting to stay awake to watch Jack. She walked in the room and said, "You want me to take her again?"

"If you would please." Chase said.

"When are you going to start being her father again?" Amanda said not really annoyed but worried for her brother.

"What do you mean? When did I stop being her father?"

"Chase you've spent every waking hour either here, or at work for the past two weeks."

"It's going to change soon. Jack woke up today. He just found out about Kim too. I want to be here when he wakes up again to answer any questions he might have." Chase said trying to contain his anger. "I'll keep her don't worry about it." He said almost childishly.

"Chase don't act like this."

"NO it's fine I'll be her father. She can stay here with me tonight."

"Where is she going to sleep Chase?" Amanda said controlling her anger.

"She slept in the bed with Jack earlier why not again." Chase said knowing he wouldn't let her, but he could find a place for her.

"Whatever Chase." Amanda said walking out angry.

Chase put Angela down gently on the chair pulling the other over so he set up a small bed for her. He leaned against the doorframe and watched Angela and Jack both sleep.

He felt a hand gently touch his back and he thought of Kim and how she use to touch him. He turned around to see Brenda standing there. "You look tired you should get some sleep."

"I don't want to leave him if he wakes up again."

"He'll probably be out the rest of the night." Brenda said, "So why don't you take Angela home and get some real rest for once. You can't help him if you are sick when he wakes up."

"I'm fine. I can't leave him. It's all my fault." Chase said almost in tears.

"No it's not Chase. I don't know what happened, but bad things happen and no one is to blame for them. They just happen. If you don't want to go home the room next door is open why don't you get some rest. I'll watch him and her."

"Don't you have to work?"

"I'm off for the day now." She said she had worked overtime the past few weeks because of the patient or more like the patients visitor who she clearly could see needed help. "Come on." She said pulling on his arm. "I'll watch them. Come on."

Chase gave in letting her pull him into the other room. She grabbed a blanket out of the closet and covered him up. Once he hit the bed he was out. She took his shoes off for him and turned the light off closing the door as she walked out. The doctor noticed this and smiled, "Finally got him to rest."

"yeah. Sorry he wouldn't leave so I just put him in the other room." She said hoping she wouldn't' get in trouble as that was not normal procedure.

"That's ok. At least he's resting. I've never seen someone so loyal to a non family member. How are you holding up? You seem to be getting attached." The doctor said trying to not make her mad by the question.

"I know I am." She said looking inside the room.

"Just don't let yourself get hurt Brenda. You are really good at what you do."

"Thank you sir."

"I better continue my rounds. Beep me if he wakes up again."

"Yes sir." Brenda walked into the room and leaned against the wall. She looked down and saw Angela shaking slightly. She grabbed a blanket from the main desk and covered her up gently pushing the hair out of her eyes. Brenda walked over and stood over Jack studying him. She pulled back the bandages and looked to see if they were healing well.

She placed the bandages back and leaned against the wall tired herself, but she promised she'd look after them.

When the doctor came to make his rounds he saw Brenda sitting on the floor next to where Angela was sleeping sound asleep herself. He smiled and closed the door gently. He looked in on Chase who was still asleep and than went on with his work.

Chase awoke the next morning in the other room. He got up fixing his clothes and putting his shoes on. He walked into Jack's room to find the room empty all besides Jack who was asleep still. He felt his blood run cold until he heard Angela down the hall. He poked his head out to find her talking to an old woman with Brenda. Brenda smiled at him as he approached.

"Good morning ladies." Chase said smiling at them. The old woman looked up at him and winked at Brenda, who immediately turned bright red. Angela said, "Mrs. Muller was telling me about when she was a child. She got to wear this really pretty dress and everything. Daddy can I get a pretty dress?"

"Sure baby." Chase said smiling at Brenda. "Thanks for looking after her."

"Oh nonsense she's a little angel." Mrs. Muller chirped in. "Why don't you two go get some coffee and bring back the little one some food I can watch her until Herald gets back from his test."

"Oh no I couldn't ask you to ma'am." Chase said.

The doctor from the night shift came in and said, "You two go get some coffee you both have been working your butt off. Me and Mrs. Muller will watch Angela here, and" Before he could finish Chase heard a pained groan coming from Jack's room. Everyone rushed over to find Jack pushing himself to a sitting position.

"Jack what are you doing." Chase said rushing over, but being gently pushed away by Brenda and the doctor.

"Mr. Bauer please lay back down before you hurt yourself." The doctor said gently pushing on Jack's shoulder.

Jack laid back down exhausted and in enormous amount of pain. "What happened?" Jack said looking at Chase his eyes full of pain. "How did she" His voice was weak and cracked but Chase could understand. He looked at Brenda and the Doctor who decided to leave the room to let them talk. Brenda said, "Angela and I will be in the cafeteria."

"Thanks." Chase said looking at her breaking from Jack's gaze. Chase pulled a chair over and sat down.

"Please tell me she's not really."

"She is. I'm sorry jack. I tried to find you and her. Saunders he killed her and Michelle. Shot Tony, but Tony escaped custody."

A primal scream came out of Jack as he felt the tears flood again. Why was he still alive, he had nothing to live for.

"I'm so sorry Jack." Chase said looking away his own tears threatening to come out but he had to be there for Jack. "I'll get them I swear I'll track them down and kill every last one of them."

Jack didn't speak again for awhile. When Brenda returned with Angela she asked Jack a few questions and got simple yes or no answers. Angela smiled at him and climbed up to the bed sitting next to him trying to cheer him up. "Look I colored this for you Jack." She said showing him the many pictures she colored, but Jack could care less as he felt his heart shattering still. He tried to pay attention, but it was hard. Angela noticed the indifference and was hurt by it. She remembered the present and she grabbed it off the night stand next to the bed, "We got you this it's only a picture of what we got you because Aunt Amanda said you wouldn't need it for awhile."

She handed the box to Jack and he opened it. Inside was a picture of a walking cane and it was a beautiful redwood color. "Thank you." He said looking up to Angela with tears in his eyes.

"Don't cry Jack. Everything's going to be fine. I know you miss Kim, but she wouldn't want you to cry. That's what Aunt Amanda said. She said Kim wouldn't want us to cry she'd want us to look out after each other and help each other remember the good times with her. She's looking down on us all now. She's with God and the Angels she's probably an Angel herself. So don't cry Jack." Angela wiped the tears out of his eyes and kissed him on the cheek.

Jack felt like crying more but he held them back for Angela. He wanted to sit up so bad right now, but every time he tried his chest hurt and the doctors yelled at him. He saw the nurse in the door way and asked in a weak voice, "is there anyway we can move the bed up?"

"Sure." She said walking over grabbing the remote and pushing it so the bed raised some.

"Thanks." He said not making eye contact with her he wanted to cry right now, but Angela was there and he had to hold it back. Kim was gone, he would never see her again, it was his fault, all these thoughts ran over and over in his head each time threatening to break the loose grip he had left on himself. What would he do now? Kim was gone he had no one left? Nothing was left for him here, why did he live? Maybe he could die now he had nothing left to do.

Chase looked at Brenda and asked, "Could you take Angela out of the room for a little bit. I need to talk to Jack on his own." Chase wanted to talk to Jack, but the information he was ready to talk about would be something Angela did not need to hear.

"Sure. We'll go get some food for Jack. I'm sure he's hungry and the doctor gave the go ahead on some solid food." She smiled. Angela ran over and grabbed her hand following her down to the cafeteria.

Chase could see the pain in Jack's eyes, "I'm sorry I didn't want you to find out that way." Chase said quietly.

"Does it matter how I found out?" Jack croaked his voice still very weak as his body was still very weak.

"I'm so sorry. I failed you Jack and I'm sorry. I failed everyone." Chase slumped into the chair next to Jack's bed. "I tried I really tried."

Jack felt his own pain at the same time he could see himself in Chase. Chase was the same way he had been after he lost Teri, maybe not as bad, but Chase wasn't as selfish as he was Jack thought to himself. Chase was holding it together for everyone, Jack could see that and it was hard to do, even Jack couldn't do it. He would do it now though, he had failed Kim, he wouldn't fail again. He would mourn in private, "What happened?" Jack needed to know that much.

"I'm not sure exactly what. I found you in the warehouse. Kim and the others were already gone." Chase paused at the memory of how he found Jack. He had to squeeze his eyes shut to block out all the blood that pooled around Jack. "I was on my way to where we had traced Kim and the others."

Jack interrupted he was devoid of emotion even his eyes, which sent a cold chill down Chase's spine, "How did you track them?"

"Michelle was wearing a tracking device when she came back to get Kim and whatever else Saunders wanted she grabbed a tracking device she didn't tell anyone till she was out of the building and well on her way. We didn't know she took Kim till than." Chase looked down ashamed he had failed so badly, and it had cost him and Jack so much. He felt the tears in his eyes and scratched at them to wipe the tears away without letting Jack know they were there. "Like I said I was on my way to track them when Chloe called. They had found them, and were rushing them to the hospital. Michelle died on the way there, Tony was injured but alive, and Kim was badly injured. She lived for a few hours after the surgery, but she just couldn't withstand all the damage." Chase couldn't hold the tears back as he looked at Jack and saw nothing in Jack's face still.

Jack was struggling so much that he wasn't listening to Chase the entire time, to busy hiding what he felt, he had to be strong. "What did he do to her?" Jack said his voice cold, some emotion of hatred behind it.

"Jack you don't need to know." Chase protested.

"Tell me!" Jack said glaring at Chase moving to make a point only sending pain through his body.

"He shot her in the head." Chase said looking Jack in the eyes, he saw the pain rush through them and he started to let the tears fall freely from his own face as Jack had stopped holding his own back, "I'm sorry Jack. I failed her and you."

"No it's not your fault Chase." Jack said angry at himself it was all his fault. Everything went back to the one damn stupid mission. Everything went back to Kosovo. "It's not your fault there was nothing you could have done Chase." Jack knew what it felt like to live with the guilt and he wouldn't let Chase do it. "Where is Tony now?" Trying to change the subject wincing as he moved his hand to clear the tears away.

"He escaped." Chase said looking down that had been his fault too.

They were interrupted when they heard Brenda and Angela coming back. Angela talking Brenda's ear off about some TV show she was missing. Angela walked into the room carrying a trey with her. Brenda moved the small table that slid over the bed over and Chase grabbed the trey from Angela setting it on the table for Jack. Brenda moved the bed up a little more, slowly as to not hurt Jack so he could eat. Angela climbed into her fathers lap and smiled, "I picked it all out for you."

Jack smiled applesauce, jell-o and pudding. Brenda explained, "The doctor doesn't want you on hard solid food yet, and I didn't think you'd enjoy a hamburger milkshake."

"EWWWW!!!" Angela said giggling in Chase's lap.

Jack smiled at her, "These are all great choices." He took the spoon in his hand that shook slightly. He slowly ate every movement causing a twinge of pain that he blocked out from his expressions. When he finished Brenda returned to take the trey. Angela giggled as she saw her father was asleep she smiled at Jack and said, "Can we watch TV?"

Jack looked around to find the remote and when he did he told her, "Go ahead." She ran over and grabbed the remote. She turned the TV on and flipped through the channels until she came up to a cartoon. She giggled it was the smurfs and she climbed back up on Chase who was sound asleep and watched it. Jack ignored the cartoon as it had brought back memories of Kim, so did Angela. Kim may not have been her biological mother, but Angela had the same way about her as Kim had.

He watched her until he felt his own exhaustion take over. He continued to watch her giggling at the cartoon thinking of Kim as his eyes slowly closed. Angela giggled when she saw he was asleep again, but she was also scared, would he not wake up like earlier? She climbed onto the bed and touched his face she saw him flinch slightly and felt sure he would wake up soon. She lay down again next to him and watched her cartoons listening to him slowly breath. She was interested suddenly in what was under the bandages. She looked around making sure no one was looking, she knew what she was doing was probably wrong, but curiosity won out. She pulled back on the bandage gently. She looked around before pulling them off more no one was around and her father and jack were both soundly asleep. She looked under them and skewed her face at the sight of all the holes. She quickly placed it back down, but not before Brenda cleared her throat.

Brenda whispered as to not wake the two men, "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry I just wanted to know what was under the bandages. What are they?" Angela said trying to play innocent. "Did I hurt him?"

"no you can't hurt him by doing that." Brenda said giving in to Angela's innocent look. "Jack was hurt by someone and those are bullet holes."

"I don't understand?" Angela said confused.

"Someone shot Jack with a gun."

"And he got that many holes in him?"

"They shot him a few times."

"Is he going to be ok? Are those holes going to be there the rest of his life?"

"He's going to be fine." Brenda smiled, "And no the holes will heal over and leave a scare."

"Like the one daddy has on his hand?"

Brenda hand never noticed any scares on Chase's hands, but she had never really studied his hands. "I'm not sure." Brenda said walking over looking at Jack who was sound asleep.

"He is going to wake up right? Not like last time."

"Yes. He's just tired he is still healing." Brenda answered her questions patiently. "You want to help me I need to clean the wounds out for him."

"I don't know they are kind of grouse." Angela said seriously.

"Ok than get down so I can do it." Brenda said getting ready to grab her off the bed.

"Can I watch?"

"Sure." Brenda smiled she found Angela to be very intelligent and attentive for someone her age and did not want to put a damper on her curiousty. Angela watched as Brenda pulled the bandages off and walked into the bathroom to get a basin of warm water to add to the disenfectent she had on the night stand.

Jack woke when he felt the water on his chest. It took him a second to come around but when he did he flinched as he felt the warm water hit the wounds. He growled when Brenda started to wipe the blood away.

"You are hurting him." Angela said looking at Brenda.

Jack heard her and wanted to scream as he wanted to be able to cry, but he couldn't' with her around and now he couldn't even react to the pain of whatever the nurse was doing. "No I'm fine Angela." Jack said in a hoarse voice making Angela jump on the bed and Jack reacted by groaning louder as his battered body reacted to the sudden movement of the bed and Angela's hands grasping his arm tightly. She almost cried when she saw him like that and he smiled at her through the pain and said, "It's fine."

Brenda smiled she knew it was far from fine, and she was so taken by how he treated Angela even when she knew he had to be dying inside because of his daughter. She looked at him and respected him more than she had any other patient. She finished up saying, "This is going to sting now."

Angela watched her as she poured the disinfectant on his chest and Jack closed his eyes to hold the pain in. Brenda rebandaged the wounds and said, "Your physical therapist will be by tomorrow morning."

"When will I be able to take an actual shower?"

"If all goes well tomorrow." Brenda said smiling at him.

Chase woke up and looked around the room wondering how long he had been out he saw Angela on the bed with Jack again, he was shocked by how much she had taken to Jack. The first time she meant him she was terrfied of him, at least the first time she was old enough to know who he was. Chase smiled and grabbed her off the bed she giggled and he said, "Have you been talking Jack's ear off?"

"No he's been sleeping like you daddy. You two sleep too much."

Chase checked his watch, Brenda noticed the scare on his hand a bullet wound and than she noticed a thinner scar that barely showed under the watch, "Speaking of which it is past your bed time. We better get home and let Jack rest some." Chase said looking at Brenda noticing her staring at his hand. She noticed he noticed her staring and she felt embarrassed automatically. Chase smiled at her and said, "Will we see you tomorrow Brenda?"

"Of course. I live here it seems like." She smiled.

"Good take care of him and watch him he's a trick bastard he'll start whining to leave soon." Chase joked smiling at Jack who was staring at the wall off in his own world, taking Chase back to the pain of losing Kim. What was he doing he had been flirting with Brenda since after the funeral. How could he forget Kim and move on so quickly? Was he that horrible of a person? "See you tomorrow Jack." Chase said Angela screamed as they walked out of the room, "Bye Jack."

Once they were gone Jack closed his eyes he felt the pain of losing Kim come tumbling down on him again. He felt the tears well in his eyes and he kept them close even as the tears fell down his cheeks. Brenda noticed this and decided to give him some time on his own. She would check on him in a few hours. She walked out of the room closing the door behind her.

The next morning Brenda was getting ready to make her rounds when Daisy grabbed her. Daisy was the woman that would be Jack's physical therapist. "I've seen you working a lot recently."

"What can I say I'm addicted to my job."

"Or a certain patient."

"Who?" Brenda played dumb.

"Uhm let me think, Jack Bauer maybe?"

Brenda smiled it wasn't Jack that kept her coming around, "No. Not him."

"Than maybe that other guy that always seems to be around. What is his name again?"

"Chase."

"So what is Bauer's story I've heard some of it in the newspapers but you can't always believe what you read."

"Talk to you about it over lunch?" Brenda said checking her watch.

"Sure let's go out though."

While over lunch Brenda filled her in on everything she knew, "From what I've gotten out of Chase and eavesdropping and Angela, Chase's little girl. Chase was going with Kim, she was Jack's daughter."

"Was as is no more?"

"Yeah the same people who did this to Jack killed Kim."

"God."

"Yeah and it gets worse according to Chase this was the last family member he really had left. His wife had been killed a few years back by a co-worker and some of this stuff was done by another co-worker. Both of these co-workers being people he had trusted."

"Ouch." Daisy said thinking about it seriously.

"Yeah. So now here he is. He's going to be a hard one too. From what I understand he is pretty much giving up. He puts on a good face for Angela, but once she's gone he's a wreck again."

"God why do I always get the hard ones."

"Because you're good at your job. Take care of him he seems to be really kind and caring."

"Sure have you heard about his past?"

"Somewhat." She said looking away. "We better get back." Brenda said looking at her watch they had been gone for an hour.

Brenda and Daisy walked into the unit and went directly to Jack's room to find him standing beside the bed holding himself up with his hands breathing heavily, clearly in pain. "What are you doing?" Brenda snapped.

"Leaving." Jack said determined to move more, even if it killed him he hoped it would.

"You can barely stand Jack how do you expect to walk out of here?" Brenda asked with an amused smile which only got anger out of Jack.

Jack let go of the bed and moved a few steps when he felt himself going down to the ground crying out in pain as the gunshot would to his leg broke open.

Brenda rushed over to him and said, "You are too stubborn for your own good. Come on let's get you back in the bed." Daisy walked over and helped her lift Jack up and back into the bed. Daisy looked at his leg and said, "It just needs to be redressed otherwise it'll be fine."

"Who are you?" Jack asked in a rough voice caused by the pain.

"I am your physical therapist and I think we've done enough for the day." She said smiling at him.

Jack lay back in the bed tired from the little movement, "When can I leave this place?"

"It all depends on how quickly you heal. I think it's pretty safe to move him down to a normal room, if the docs ok with that." Daisy said looking him over not being able to look away from his blue eyes that held so much pain, emotional pain. She felt them bore through her as she looked at him. She blinked and looked away feeling like he had just read her or something. "I'll come back later." She said walking out to finish her rounds.

Daisy returned to the room a few hours later to find Jack perched in the bed watching TV with Angela. Chase was sitting in the corner working away on a laptop and Angela was giggling on the foot of the bed watching some nickelodeon cartoon.

"Good news. We are moving you to a standard room no more intensive care. Since you are up and doing good. Which means you can take a bath." She smiled at him.

Angela giggled and joked, "Finally you stink."

Jack smiled at her, but only because he didn't want to hurt her feelings. He didn't want to smile, but he knew he had to act like everything was fine around her and Chase and anyone else for that matter.

Daisy noticed the look on Jack face and said, "Let's get you. Um Chase could you come back later he's going to busy for awhile."

"Sure. Just call if you need anything Jack." Chase said closing up his work and grabbing Angela. "We'll come back tomorrow." Chase and Angela walked out of the room Angela came running back in the room and kissed Jack's hand, "See you tomorrow."

Jack smiled and went back to his normal frown after she left. Daisy got the wheel chair out of the hallway and pushed it in. She unhooked all the machines and IV's and said, "Ok let's get you moving." She helped him up Jack supported himself mostly on the bed trying not to fall or have her help him. He growled because he was trying to keep her from helping and hurting himself in the process.

"Jack you got to let me help you some." She said knowing he was going to be a hard patient. Once she got him in the wheel chair she wheeled him to the elevators and than down a few floors. She pushed him into his new room which was like the old one without all the machines. "I think they brought you some clothes we forgot upstairs." She ran back up to the old room and found the clothes Chase had brought for him. She entered the room to see him wheeling himself toward the exit.

"Come on let's go get you cleaned up." She said walking behind and taking control of the chair, "Jack I know it's hard for you, but if you just give me a chance we could get you back and moving in no time. The more you cooperate with me the quicker you'll get out of here."

Jack didn't answer her, when Angela was not around he gave everyone the silent treatment except Chase occasionally he would answer his questions.

She pushed him into the room that had a contraption already set up in the shower for him to sit one and shower with. She pushed him in the room and started to help him undress.

Jack said, "I can get it." He said it softly. He stood up with her help and used the wall to support himself his muscles sore and weak from weeks of lying around and not being used, on top of the wounds and drugs. He removed the paper clothes, as he referred to them as and didn't take the boxers off. He was uncomfortable with her in the room.

"Are you sure you are ok?"

"I'm fine." He snapped he hated being in this state, why wasn't he dead.

"Just take it easy ok." She said walking out hearing a cry of pain a minute later. She walked back in to see Jack sitting back down with his eyes closed. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah." A weak soft voice again.

"Come on. I'll help you. You just have to take it easy that's all. Slow and easy. It's going to hurt some." She moved over to help him and he let her. She closed the shower curtain and stood in the room waiting for him to finish. When she heard the water turn off she reached through the shower curtain and handed him a towel.

Jack moved slowly not wanting to cause the pain he felt earlier. He wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out slowly. He sat in the chair slowly the wound on his leg throbbing. She pushed him back to the room and helped him dress putting on a pair of boxers and flannel pants. Once he was situated in the bed she sat down next to him in a chair. "I thought I would outline what we are going to do over the next few weeks to get you out of here. I know how much you don't want to be here. We are going to start out easily. Just getting you slowly moving around. Simple stretches you're your legs to get the muscles back the wound on your leg took some muscle away and nicked the bone. It's going to be painful at first and I'll keep you on the pain killers for awhile. But I am going to try to wean you off them slowly. Once we get you some of the muscle back you can move onto a walker. I know what you'll think of it, but it will be necessary the better you do on that the quicker we can move you over to a cane. You'll probably have a slight limp after all is said in done."

Jack didn't answer her she wasn't even sure if he was listening and she was starting to loss her patience with him. "Jack I know you lost your daughter, and I know you are hurting inside, but don't waste my time. It's valuable."

Jack did look at her but he said nothing. Daisy walked out of the room clearly pissed off. She didn't know why she was pissed off she knew he was going to be a hard patient Brenda had warned her, but it still just made her angry the way he treated her. She was at the nurses station when she saw someone she didn't know enter his room. She watched curiously they had been warned to look for anyone suspicious because whoever did this to him might still be around. Once he was out of the ICU they took the guards off him by order of someone at CTU. She watched and listened.

"Hello Jack." The woman said in the cold voice.

Jack looked at her the pain clear in his face, his chest clearly showing all of his wounds as they had not been bandaged again after the shower, which he felt better after having it. "Carol." He croaked. "I'm sorry." He had tears in his eyes but he pushed them back. He could see the anger in her face and the pain.

"Don't even start because you being sorry isn't going to bring my sister or my niece back." Carol said in a cold voice. "How can you live with yourself? Kim told me all about what you have done. The drugs, the women, what would Teri say now if she were alive. I came to tell you not to call ever. I don't want you to even visit their graves. You have no right Jack. And the day you die, hopefully soon I hope they just burn you and throw your ashes in the garbage because you don't deserve to live. They did, they died because of your mistakes, your faults, and that is all your fault. I hope it kills you inside so bad that one night you take a gun and do the job yourself. Or maybe you'll just overdose one night." Carol had tears streaming down her face she didn't care how much Jack was in pain, she was in worse pain and she wanted him to be as bad off as she was. She had lost her entire family because of him, and she hated him for it. She thought about finishing him off herself. She walked out of the room as soon as she had entered.

Jack waited a few minutes before he let the tears escape his eyes. He closed his eyes trying to block them away as he heard someone in the doorway. When he opened his eyes Daisy stood in the doorway looking in on him. She walked over and took his hand. "Go ahead Jack." She tried to encourage him to let it out she had heard every word the woman said as had half the hallway.

Jack shut down quickly not crying anymore, but Daisy could see the pain in his bluish green eyes. She found herself staring a little to long in his eyes, "I'm sorry if I snapped on you earlier. I'm the last thing you need. It's just you have so many people left that care about you Jack. I've seen that little girl Angela she adores as much as she adores Chase. She worships the ground you walk on. And Chase Brenda told me all about how he never left your bed side, she had to practically threaten him with a baseball bat to get him to leave your bedside. And I didn't know your daughter, but I am sure that she wouldn't want you to feel this much pain. They care for you Jack and they will be there for you no matter what, and yet you treat them badly. I know it's because you are in pain, but I promise with time it gets better."

Jack snapped his pain from Carols words finding a target, "How do you know?"

Daisy swallowed hard she had never told anyone this before, and he was a new patient and this was going way paste any patient boundaries, but she wanted to help him because he reminded her of herself. "I was in your position before. My husband was a narcotics police officer. He went undercover to bring down a Mexican drug ring. He wasn't able to bring them down. They found out about him somehow, the police never told me how. But one night I came home from work and I saw his car in the driveway. I was so happy to see him home finally I had missed him so much." She stopped he didn't need to know the next part she thought to herself, "I woke up a few weeks later in the hospital and found out he was dead." She said softly. "That was a few years ago now. Each day it gets better you have to work at it though." She got up and left the room slowly as to maintain that it got easier everyday, but the day replayed in her mind. Sometimes it snuck up on her and played out in her mind, and she never could block it all out.

Brenda saw her coming out of the room and rushed over to her noticing how she looked once she cleared the door, "Come with me." She took her arm and pulled her into an empty room, "What's wrong?"

"What are you doing down here?" Daisy asked deflecting the question.

"Came to check up on Jack."

"Aren't we getting a little attach?"

"I'm way past attach." Brenda said looking at her still worried. "What did he do?"

"Nothing at all. I'm fine." Daisy said smiling weakly to back it up.

Brenda stared at her for a few more minutes before she said, "Ok."

"So you really like this Chase guy?"

"Yeah, but I feel bad because he just lost his girlfriend and all. I know he does at times I can notice because one minute he'll be all buddy and the next he's cold. If I didn't know any better I'd think he was Jack's son and the girl was just his girlfriend." Brenda said really believing it.

"I better get moving on got a few more people to see." Daisy said walking out of the room.

Brenda walked to Jack's room and found him sitting in the bed staring at the wall, "Hey."

Jack looked over at her his eyes bloodshot. He said in a low quiet voice, "hey."

"What did you do to Daisy?"

Jack didn't answer her, but his face conveyed some sort of guilt.

"You want some decent food?" She asked noticing the guilty look on his face.

"Decent food in this place I didn't know it existed."

"It doesn't. I'll be back." She said walking out of the room. She returned twenty minutes later with a bag of TACO BELL. She handed him a few taco's and said, "I didn't know what you'd like so I picked up taco's."

"Thank you." Jack said sitting up slowly grimacing.

"Take it easy the doctor will kill me if he finds you eating this crap." She said grabbing out her own food. "Is Angela your granddaughter?" He looked a little young to have grandchildren, but than he looked to young to have Kim as a daughter too.

"No." Jack answered. "She is Chase's daughter."

"Oh." Brenda felt bad when she saw the slight twinge in his facial expression.


End file.
